


Where Was Our Chance?

by curlsandblueyes



Series: Bitter Grace [1]
Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Avenger Families, Avengers - Freeform, Betrayal, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Future Fic, Gay Character, Gay Original Character, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra (Marvel), Kidnapping, Major Original Character(s), Michelle Is An Amazing Mother, One Big Happy Family, Peter Is An Amazing Father, Peter Parker Has a Family, Peter is adopted, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Protective Avengers, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Superheroes, Tony Stark has a family, avenger kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-02 03:11:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16778440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curlsandblueyes/pseuds/curlsandblueyes
Summary: "These violent delightshave violent endsAnd in their triumph die,like fire and powder,Which, as they kiss, consumeThe sweetest honeyIs loathsome in his own deliciousnessAnd in the taste confounds the appetiteTherefore love moderately. Long love doth so.Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow."Romeo and JulietScene 2, Act 6





	1. You Have Your Secrets...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. This is going to be so confusing, so weird and you're gonna be super lost. I get it. This story just popped into my head when I was brainstorming these characters and I've already written so much about them here and there, I just needed to start posting this one. I'll eventually add their background and how this story came to be when I have the time to type it up. I'll also be starting Promptmas soon so stick around for that! For now, really quickly Anna Maria-May Stark is Michelle and Peter's daughter. Peter was adopted by Tony and Pepper when he was seventeen. May is still alive and Anna has two awesome grandmas. Jesse Scott is the first friend she makes in Midtown after being homeschooled for all of her childhood. This is story is really the heart and origin of these characters in my head so try to be patient with me, I just couldn't stop myself. Please comment and feedback! Constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated! :)))))))

“So if we work a little on the history project this weekend and then this - Jesse? Hello? Jesse? Yoo-hoo! Jess!” Anna shouted snapping her fingers in his face.

He jumped in surprise, his eyes wide and alert as he looked back at her blinking rapidly. When he came to realize he was caught not paying attention he retrained is focus back on her. Jesse leaned on his hand and looked at her intently with slightly squinted eyes.

“Yeah! Sounds good!" Jesse said nodding vigorously.

She scowled though as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

“What did I even say?” She asked.

“Uhh, you want me to buy you more gelato?” He asked nervously playing with his ear and looking anywhere but her eyes.

“No, Jesse; what the hell are you even staring at that has you so distracted?” Anna hissed turning in her seat to look at the counter.

“N-nothing Anna! I wasn’t looking at anything,” Jesse cried frantically trying to recall her attention.

She wasn’t paying him any mind now though, her eyes scanning for anything in the shop that stood out to her. However, she couldn’t find anything new in the eighties themed ice cream parlor that they had visited two days prior. There was only two workers behind the counter today, the old woman who owned the shop working the register and her grandson who was currently serving a mother and her daughter. Nothing new. She glanced back at Jesse now who was biting his lip and looking away out the window, his leg bouncing anxiously beneath the table that rattled with his movements. She looked back once more at the scene before her and her gaze focused on the grandson who smiled politely as he handed the little girl her strawberry ice cream with rainbow sprinkles. She noticed his smile was nice, in an aesthetic way, and overall he looked only to be around a few years older than them. High school senior? His dark brown hair was hidden snuggly under a blue and white striped hat, the color blue matching his eyes color nicely, he had a few freckles over his nose and the pale skin on his face was tinted pink from the chilly work environment. Anna decided if someone asked for her opinion she would say he was rather - cute.

Oh.

_Oh_.

The gears that spun and turned in her mind finally clicked and she looked over at her fidgeting friend. Jesse had been avoiding her eyes but when she finally locked eyes with him, his face flushed furiously red, he saw she had put the pieces together. He panicked and faster than she could speak he was up, things collected and running out of the small shop.

“Jesse! Jesse wait! Hold on — Jesse!” Anna shouted after him, she grabbed her things and quickly chased outwards after him.

The street corner where the shop was, was busy with people going to and from work and school. It was hard to see through such a thick crowd but thankfully Anna spotted Jesse nearly plowing down a reverse flow of foot traffic and hurried after him. She ignored the excited gasps and sharp whispers as people who recognized her pointed and stared, she was grateful no one approached as she finally caught up with Jesse. He was first to say something as she pushed her way to walk beside him.

“Leave me alone,” he breathed looking about and pretending to be oblivious to her presence.

“Jesse just - just stop, okay? Stop and listen, please?” Anna pleaded quickly moving to halt his path.

His step faltered and he threw up his hands in mock surrender. He looked left and right spotting a gated alleyway, grabbing her arm and shutting the gates behind him. He released her arm by the entrance and walked a bit deeper as he paced back and forth. She looked at him sadly as she watched him break down in front of her and she blew out through her nostrils.

“Jesse it’s-,” Anna sighed.

“No Anna, don’t say _that_. Its not okay, okay? Th-this is the reason I stopped having friends. I’m the star quarterback, I suck at science even though I go to a STEM school and half the team looks up to me like some role model or- or hero — how do you think the guys on the team would feel if they found out I was- I was…” Jesse stuttered, his voice trailing off.

“Gay,” Anna said.

“ _Shut up Anna!_ ” He yelled, his face flushed from anger and his hands shaking.

If she was any other girl she would’ve flinched or gotten nervous, frightened even, and ran away. But she didn’t. And she wasn’t ‘any other girl’. She was Spider-Girl, and she wasn’t easily scared, especially by high school football players. Jesse stopped pacing and finally looked at her as he walked over and firmly gripped her biceps. Jesse’s whole body trembled and his eyes were large and scared as he looked directly at her.

“Anna please - you can not, can not tell anyone. Please, please Ann, just please don’t tell anyone,” Jesse begged sliding his hands down her arms to hold her hands tightly.

She noticed as he squeezed her hands tighter and tighter his knuckles turned white and his palms grew clammier by the second. She smiled at him reassuringly and squeezed back.

“Jesse I’m not gonna tell anyone, I promise,” she said.

The way he bit his lip and looked between both her eyes told her he didn’t not fully believe her. She wanted to roll her eyes but knew too the possibility of her being the only one to know his secret, she didn’t want to be rude. She reached up on her toes then to reach his height and wrapped her arms around his neck. Anna threaded her fingers into his wavy dirty blonde hair and gently pulled his head down closer to hers.

“I wont tell anyone because I know whats its like to have a secret that could ruin everything,” she whispered into his ear.

It worked. She was intrigued but comforted that he didn’t question what she meant by that. Jesse’s sturdiness lost its steam as he slumped against her petite frame and he wrapped his own arms around her waist. He pressed his nose against her shoulder and his deflated with relief, she gave him a light squeeze and in return he gave her one back gently lifting her from the ground.

“Thank you Anna,” Jesse mumbled.

She chuckled as he placed her back down and smirked up at him.

“Alright you big mush, lets get started on this project already and you owe me a cup of gelato,” Anna said in a tone that held no room for debate.

“Yes ma’am.” Jesse laughed.

She hiked her bag further up on her shoulder and moved to Jesse’s side, wrapping an hand around his bicep. He smirked at the action but played along and bent his arm across his abdomen. They exited the alleyway and head back down to the ice cream shop. Jesse was too flustered so he handed Anna a twenty and she went in to claim her small earnings. When she came back out Jesse was standing across the crosswalk next to a bike rack with his hands in his pockets. She handed him back the change and he thanked her before they started a steady pace down to the nearby library. The way was pleasant and not awkward as they made idle conversation about the upcoming project, Jesse seemed more relieved than anything, most likely over the fact she didn’t care. They decided that after the research was finished Anna would work on adding the visual aspects and Jesse would do the last minute editing. The library was mostly empty save for a few people and the librarians. They headed down the old gothic spiral bookcase and down to a quiet study room where one librarian was seated in the center of the tables. She leaned into him smiling as they passed the librarians desk.

“Seems when you want to focus you’re not hard bad at being productive Jess,” Anna said.

“Eh, coach said I’m good at making quick judgement calls,” Jesse said shrugging.

“Makes you a good leader,” Anna commented.

“Makes me a good _captain_ , I’m not a leader,” he mumbled.

There was a quick and harsh shush from the librarian and they sent her sheepish and apologetic smiles as they went on, each mouthing a sorry in her direction. The table they picked was mostly secluded, it was in the back up a set of three stairs and at the end of four tables. The window looked out to the moving street life and Jesse picked the seat across from her closest to the window where she sat by the aisle so they could prop their feet up on the opposing chairs. There was only one other student two tables down from them working quietly with her head phones in and not even looking up at them. They tried to be as quiet as possible as they pulled out their laptops and books, spreading them out around them. They settled into their seats and Anna pulled off her jacket, twisting in her chair to drape the jacket over the back. It was a little chilly in the library but nothing compared to the October air outside. She leaned forward on her bent forearms, looking at a relevant article that Jesse found last night for the project when a shiver went do her spine. Instantly the hair on the back of her neck and her arms rose straight up, she knew something was coming but Jesse looked startled and alarmed at her violent reaction to what he assumed was the cold.

“Jeez Anna, you cold?! You can have my jacket if yours isn’t warm enough,” Jesse said already working at removing his football jacket.

“Chivalry. And here I thought it was dead,” a smooth voice teased right behind Jesse.

The poor, unsuspecting teen jumped in alarm and swiveled in his chair to look at the new person. Anna with an unamused expression rolled her eyes at the comical way Jesse’s widened.

“Oh my — you’re - ,” Jesse stuttered over his loss of words.

Anna couldn’t help the fleeting thought that Jesse looked adorable when he stuttered. The act not usually a trait of 5’11” football player, but normal and ‘usual’ wasn’t ever really her thing so he was a perfect person for a friend. It did not change the fact that he was a total nerd.

“Do not call her Iron Maiden, nerd,” Anna said with a sigh.

Michelle Stark smirked, shoulders bouncing with a light and silent chuckle at her daughter. She turned back to the boy and held out a hand to shake as she adjusted the books to her other arm. However, the quarterback still sat frozen with his jaw slack and unyielding as he stared up at the celebrity. Of course she was also dressed for her work so if the shock wasn’t enough the fact her mother looked both intimidating and stunning really laid it on thick to the poor boy. Michelle wore a bold, dark red blazer over a white loosely buttoned chiffon blouse, straight legged red slacks to match the blazer and a pair of white-black toed short heels. She didn’t wear any makeup aside from some clear lip gloss and black eyeliner, but the gold jewelry she wore accented her chocolate color skin. A plain gold chain fell to the exposed area of her breast bone, matching her gold gauntlet bracelets that dangled gently off her lithe wrists. She had her messy curls that matched Annas pulled over one shoulder and clipped against her face on the other side.

“He can call me whatever he wants to Anna,” her mother said smirking at her daughter coyly as Jesse finally shook her hand.

Anna felt her blood run cold when her mother looked down at her like that. Her ‘spider-senses’ did not calm as her mother struck up a conversation with Jesse turning to look at him now.

“And you are Jesse Scott correct?” Michelle said.

“You know my name,” Jesse breathed in disbelief, more so to himself and his cheeks tinted pink.

“Despite our technological advances, I do pick up a newspaper,” Michelle chuckled.

“Mama,” Anna groaned.

Michelle grinned and stepped back from the table with her hands raised in defense, her bracelets sliding down a bit.

“Just wanted to say hi, but I’ll leave you two to your work now. Anna Maria dinner is at seven, don’t be late; your grandfather and Nana May are cooking… it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Scott,” Michelle said.

“Y-you too, Mrs. Stark,” Jesse said.

Michelle waved then and with a wink at Anna she turned away from Jesse and left to check out her books. Anna moaned in relief and frustration slumping forward onto the table and Jesse inhaled dramatically shaking his head and blinking rapidly like he had been blinded.

“ _Holy shit!_ I just met the Iron Maiden…. I shook her hand,” he nearly squealed to himself.

She gave him a small raised eyebrow and sat back up against the chair.

“Do you know how unexciting it is to see my mom in public?” Anna grumbled.

“Your mom is a superhero! How are you not excited?” Jesse gasped.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms looking at him as he stared off into space with a starstruck expression.

“First of all, she’s _not_ a superhero. Second, Iron Maiden is the title name of the project folder for her gauntlets. She’s the personal lawyer for Stark Industries and -“

“- and the Avengers,” Jesse added in quickly.

“ _And_ your are such a nerd,” she groaned.

His excitement didn’t waver though and he continued of his hyper rant off the adrenaline from meeting a practical celebrity.

“Thats still really cool! I mean I still can’t wrap my head around the fact my best friend is Iron Man’s granddaughter —“ Jesse rambled.

“Jesse his name is Tony Stark. You do know that all those superheroes are real men and women right? Behind those masks and armor and powers and made up names are regular people,” Anna insisted with a slight biting edge to her voice.

Jesse still caught up in his own head did not catch her warning tone or her annoyed expression as he continued to rave over the encounter.

“Hey wait! Does your mom know who Spider-Man is? There is a bunch of fan rumors that he got -,” Jesse began.

That was the final straw. “You know what Jesse? I think we should work on this project later okay? I need to go, now,” Anna said swiftly as she stuffed her things in her bag and stood up.

This caught his attention now and he looked at her with concern and confusion.

“What? Anna wait! What’s wrong?” Jesse asked.

“Get home safe Jesse,” she said and walked away quickly.

Jesse stood up but she was already gone from his reach and he ignored the librarians warning shush.

“Anna!” He called.


	2. ...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Anna!"

**Two Hours Later at Stark Tower**

  
****

“Anna can you help set the table please?” May asked her as she sat the island watching her cook.

“Sure thing Nana,” Anna sighed sliding off her stool and walking around to May taking the plates from her and going over to the sleek black marble table.

She looked at the twinkling lights of the city below them and the few that barely reached above the new Avengers satellite tower that she and her family lived in. The main penthouse was divided in two flights, the kitchen, dining room and living room the only thing shared between them. Anna and her parents lived on the lower half down a private hallway and her grandmother and grandfather lived in the upper half. May and Happy lived in their own apartment across the way from the penthouse but spent most their time here. She walked back over to May and sat on the edge of the counter looking down at her swinging legs thinking back to earlier that day.

“Everything okay Anna?” May asked pushing her glasses up on her nose.

“Hm?” Anna mumbled distractedly.

“You seem like something is on your mind sweetie,” May mumbled softly glancing up at her.

Anna thought about it for a moment before vaguely answering her.

“Nothing really…. Nana May can I ask you a question?” Anna asked looking at her now.

“Shoot,” May said.

“Who did you think Spider-Man was before you found out it was Daddy?” Anna asked her looking over her face.

“Well, I’ll tell you I certainly did not think it was my fifteen-year old nephew, thats for sure,” May chuckled to herself as she stirred the sauce.

Anna initially smiled at the little tease before she frowned and cocked her head to the side.

“But- I think what I really meant was, did you ever think about who it was?” Anna asked.

May looked thoughtfully upwards and then let her shoulders drop with a defeated sigh.

“I’ll be honest when I say I initially thought whoever it was, was crazy. Like batshit crazy. But then I wondered if maybe the reason they put on the mask wasn’t just to hide whoever they were - but to be a symbol of hope to those of us who couldn’t wear one. Peter has never been a symbol for the world, he was a symbol for the common people… maybe the question should be who do you want people to think you are?” May said looking at Anna pointedly.

Anna smiled, hopped off the counter and hugged her tightly.

“Thanks Nana May,” she said.

“I’m glad I could help with - well whatever it was,” May chuckled as she turned off the stove.

Anna turned then as the door to the penthouse open and in came the chorus of voices talking amongst themselves. She smiled as she watched Tony laugh at Happy who rolled his eyes with an annoyed expression, both holding grocery bags. Pepper held her grandfather’s hand and smiled sympathetically at Happy as he husband teased him. Following behind them her mother who was playfully shouldering her father, his eyes were soft and loving coupled with a wide goofy grin towards his wife. They were a funny and odd group, but they were her family.

“Welcome home,” FRIDAY greeted upon their entry.

“Oh looks like we have what we need now! Did you get the lemons Tony?” May inquired.

Tony walked around, kissing Anna’s cheek as she passed him to return to her original seat, and smiled teasingly at May.

“Yes ma’am and I’m still wondering why we couldn’t just use the lemon juice in the fridge,” Tony said placing the bags on the counter and shrugging off his blazer.

“Quality Anthony,” May scolded waving the wooden spoon she used to stir the pasta, using his full and very Italian name to emphasize her point.

Anna chuckled as she caught her grandfather’s face screw up in annoyance and briefly stick out his tongue as May who rolled her eyes at him and he laughed winking at his granddaughter. Encouragement in every one of its bad forms Pepper had groaned once before. She turned her attention back to Happy and her dad who were obviously continuing a conversation they started on the way over.

“- I’m telling you this year will be the Yankees,” Happy said huffing.

“And I’m telling you to wait till Bucky and Steve come so you can split my winnings that way you’re not paying up personally Happy,” Peter grinned.

“Are spiders instinctually naive? I thought those senses were supposed to warn you of oncoming catastrophe because the Yankees aren’t going anywhere this year,” Happy said.

“Hey! Thats offensive to me too, ya know?!” Anna called out.

“I’m sorry Anna, your dad’s are probably malfunctioning is all,” Happy said grinning evilly at Peter who scowled back.

“Alright thats enough you two,” Pepper snapped as she pulled out wine with a couple of wine glasses standing across from Anna and behind the two chefs.

“She’s right, stop trying to make yourself feel better Hap’, we all know it’s the Mets making it to the playoffs this year,” Tony said cracking open a beer bottle in place of the wine being served.

“Jesus Tony,” Pepper sighed and everyone besides Happy laughed.

“Ha ha. Very funny. How was school Anna?” Happy said trying to change the subject as he grabbed a glass of wine and went to stand by May.

Anna not really caring to discuss her hectic and frustrating day spoke vaguely with a monotonous tone.

“It was good, school ya know,” she said shrugging and picking aimlessly at the corner of the napkin in front of her.

There was a pause and Anna looked up at all of them as they exchanged a few questioning glances and she rolled her eyes at their nosey impatience.

“It was boring. I have lots of homework and a project to work on,” she elaborated waving her hand.

They seemed fine with us returning to their individual tasks and spaces. Anna blew out under her breath in relief but when her eyes trailed over to her mother she froze. Michelle was smirking and Anna swallowed hard. Her mother was planning something and Anna hadn’t the slightest idea what it could be despite everything screaming to run now. She jumped slightly when her grandfather yelled out.

“Dinner is ready — and edible!” Tony announced, earning a sharp elbow to his ribs from May but laughed at the jab.

Anna scrambled off her seat to the dining table and far from her mother, but it proved to be a futile attempt. Michelle sat next to Peter and across from her, Tony and Happy sitting at each end of the table, and she trapped between both her grandmothers. They settled into conversation easily and casually, all discussing their days as they filled their plates and started eating. Anna did not have much of an appetite due to the nervous pit now in her stomach and tried to remain quiet so she didn’t call attention to herself. The few times she glanced up, as she poked at her food, she was sure her mother was looking at her even when she wasn’t. She was absentmindedly cutting a meatball into fourths when Tony cleared his throat.

“Hey Spider-Girl, why so quiet?” He asked pouring more wine for himself and Peter who looked at her now too.

“Um, I’m just tired Grandad,” she said shrugging awkwardly and now all eyes turned to her.

Except her mother.

Dammit.

“Feeling okay? Usually you’re talking up a storm,” Peter asked her with a small frown.

“I’m fine Daddy, really, I promise,” she said smiling at his concerned look.

And thats when her mother decided to pounce and set her plan into motion.

“How is your project coming along? Probably a lot for one person on top of all your other homework,” Michelle said twirling some pasta around her fork.

Anna was cautious with how she responded. Michelle Stark was an infamous talker and easily ensnared people by having them talk themselves into their own handmade traps. She was genius and Anna had no idea what trap there was, just that there was and it was hidden very, very well. Too well.

“It’s not so bad and I’m not alone,” she mumbled slowly.

“Oh?” Michelle asked, Anna catching the dramatized innocent tone she used.

She was playing stupid and Anna was fidgeting now. Her mother never played stupid, she was too smart to stoop to such levels. If she was doing it now, Anna could assume she was getting some cruel enjoyment from this.

“Mm-hm,” Anna hummed, her eyes flickering nervously between her plate and her mother.

Beside her May looked between the duo and pushed her glasses up again.

“I - sense a little tension here,” May mumbled.

“Tension? There is no tension,” Anna said frantically while stabbing a meatball.

Anna looked up at her parents and noticed no one else seemed to notice their little exchange. Peter was chewing but his wife was smirking wide enough to expose a few dazzling white teeth and Anna knew she was doomed. Utterly, and eternally, _doomed_.

“So is your partner that cute boy you were sitting with at the library today?” Michelle asked waving her fork around.

All hell broke loose.

Pepper yelped and snapped at Tony who spit out his mid gulp of wine all over his food and table. May laughed at Happy who missed his mouth and speared his spaghetti loaded fork into his nose. FRIDAY then announced that Peter was choking and Anna planted her face in her hand as Michelle clapped Peter on his back and he sucked in air harshly. He had a minor coughing fit and Anna glared at her mother who was fighting off laughter.

“Why do you hate me?” She asked.

“I couldn’t resist! Besides he seemed very nice, offering his jacket to you. How long have you kept him a secret, hm?” Her mother said.

“It’s not like that! Of everyone here who would jump to conclusions I expected you to be the last one. He’s just a friend, thats it,” Anna said defiantly dropping her utensils in irritation.

She couldn’t tell them Jesse was gay, although it could remedy the situation quite quickly. She wasn’t going to very well announce it to them despite how accepting and understanding they were. She had made a promise, and she intended to keep it, even as she suffered through it now.

“Um, excuse me, w-what boy?” Peter nearly squeaked after clearing his throat.

“There is no ‘boy’ Daddy, Mama is starting things to mess with me. There is only a friend who is my partner for this project, okay?” Anna insisted to her father.

“O-okay, okay,” Peter stuttered and Michelle chuckled.

Anna pursed her lips and looked at her mother.

“Mama stop torturing Daddy. I’m serious, he is just a friend. No interest in me, no interest in him, okay?” Anna stated firmly.

There was a long and awkward silence as no one ate and Anna, with all her pent up stress, threw her hands up in the air.

“I can’t believe this. Daddy and Grandad have been in life or death battles, I literally swing on thin, chemically produced spider-web substitutes and fight off grown men three times my size and you all act as if me talking to a boy is the end of the world!” Anna shouted in disbelief.

There were a few sheepish glances and debating looks exchanged amongst the males at the table as they tried to avoid prolonged eye contact. However, the women around the table shared amusement at the expense of the men and smiled at each other much to Anna’s dismay. Tony decided to be brave enough and speak first, clearing his throat and drawing the attention to him.

“What’s his name?” Tony asked with a forced polite and very uncomfortable tight lipped smile.

All heads snapped to look at her then and she stood up shaking her head as she picked up her plate heading for the kitchen to clean her plate.

“I’m going to my room now,” she announced instead of answering the question.

“Oh come now Anna they’re harmless,” May called after her a teasing lit to her voice.

Michelle spoke up then as she took a sip of her wine glass and shrugged.

“No its alright, Anna is excused to her room. To answer your question Tony his name and picture are actually in the paper, he’s a convicted delinquent,” Michelle said casually.

Her poor father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lay it on me! How's it going? What do you think? Editing?


	3. ... And I Have Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her poor father.

**Anna’s room**

Anna quickly shut the door to her room and exhaled heavily as she slumped back against it and downwards. Sometimes she really loved her family, other times not so much. Now in the solace of her room she looked to her desk where her bubblegum pink phone case stood out against the white sheets of paper. The vibrating had just stopped and she picked it up to see the missed call notification slide across the lock screen picture. It was an aerial view of Times Square during a festival late at night, her dad had taken her swinging into Manhattan and it had been so much fun.

She opened her phone and the conversation between herself and her cousin Tommy opened, the last text a ‘see ya later’. She had initially texted him when she got home after broiling over her annoyance with Jesse and asked for Tommy’s help. Anna wanted to understand what Jesse was going through and texted the only person she knew who could relate. Tommy had only told everyone two years ago, everyone accepting and supportive especially Anna’s mother who had joined nearly every cultural club in existence that high school and college had offered. The talk had proven fruitful enough for her besides Tommy being extremely curious and flirty when Anna would not divulge details.

She swiped out of the conversation and scrolled up to the unread messages at the top of the list from Jesse. She had mainly ignored his messages because she was still super annoyed with him. However while she scanned quickly over the messages she felt a bit guilty as she thought back to what her Nana May had said. Why did an honest guy like Jesse Scott really want to wear a mask?

_Jesse: Anna_

_Jesse: Anna_

_Jesse: Anna_

_Jesse: Anna please answer me_

_Jesse: Anna I don’t know what I did wrong but I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t apologize if I don’t know what I did but I am sorry you’re too upset to talk to me_

_Jesse: C’mon Anna say something_

_Jesse: Anything_

_Jesse: Please_

_Jesse: This sucks :(_

_Jesse: I knew if you found out you’d stop talking to me. It’s too weird isn’t it?_

_Jesse: This is such a mistake_

_Jesse: Not what you think! I didn’t mean friends, I meant telling you and scaring you off_

_Jesse: Anna_

_Jesse: Anna I miss you_

_Jesse: I don’t want to lose my best friend because of this, please forgive me or tell me how I can fix this_

_Jesse: Please_

Anna felt guilty form deep in her gut as she read Jesse’s messages. She could feel the desperation and worry every time she read her name or his begging forgiveness. Silly boy. She was angry sure, but she never wanted him to think he had scared her away. She opened her call logs and pressed Jesse’s contact. It rung only once, as she stood in the middle of her room and wrapped an arm around her waist, and Jesse answered.

“Anna I am sooo _sorry_ , _so sorry,_ ” Jesse said frantically and rushed.

She bit her lip, her fingers curling into the fabric of her shirt and swayed her weight from foot to foot. She heard the heavy weight and the hoarseness of his voice when he spoke. Had he been crying? Oh how she hoped not.

“I’m an awful friend,” she breathed into the receiver.

“What? Wha- no. No Anna, you’re not an awful friend. I am. I pushed you away when I asked you to keep that a secret and-,” Jesse argued.

“Jess, I’m not - I’m not angry over ‘that’,” she said.

“You’re- you’re not?” He asked quietly and then sniffed.

She smiled at the relieved lightness of his voice despite the small sniffle. Anna felt the bed dip as she sat on the edge and looked at her ceiling.

“No Jesse, I promise,” she said.

“Oh thank god. I thought you hated me - that you would tell people…. AND I WOULDN’T BLAME YOU. I- I cant expect anyone to hide a secret like that,” Jesse sighed.

**_This was a bad idea._ **

She had thought about it. Thought against it. Over and over the idea had mulled over in her head so many times she hated to admit it. She trusted Jesse. She really did. She never thought she’d wanna tell someone who she was, she had her family and the rest of the Avengers. Yet when she spent more time with Jesse she found herself hating the fact she had to hide. Now she wondered if he had felt the same way. Jesse was her friend, her best friend, she genuinely cared about him. She walked him home after studying to his confusion on role reversal but he shrugged it off, she swung by his apartment building sometimes just to make sure he was okay and she always went out of the way to meet him in the mornings to go school together. Now, if Jesse trusted her to keep his secret, she could show him the trust went both ways. She cleared her throat and stood up pacing nervously as she spoke next.

“Jesse are you busy?” She asked.

“Um, no?” He mumbled.

She bit her finger. The riskiness of this situation was growing along her resolution to tell him. She took a deep breath and leaned against her desk.

“You’re right it is a tough secret to keep,” she said.

“Anna I’m-,” he started to say apologetically.

“So it’s only fair you know mine,” she quickly interrupted.

“Anna what?” Jesse asked.

“Do you remember when I told you I knew what it was like having a secret that could ruin everything?” She breathed shakily and gently her eyes straying to a picture on her desk.

The picture sat closest to her on the desk. She was a toddler in the photo. Her curly hair had been pulled into a small pom-pom puff on her head with a pink bow. She had been dressed in a baby blue dress with a floral print on the skirt and a pair of white frilly socks, shoes abandoned who knows where. She was nestled and sleeping soundly against her fathers chest as he cradled her with one arm and held her small head over his heart. A content smile casted down at her head as the moment was captured from the side, the background a picturesque beach scene in some country they had been visiting. She loved her dad with an undying passion. He was her idol and she was always looking to do things to make him proud. Keep him safe. If anything happened to him, she didn’t know what she'd do. Jesse’s voice brought her back from her worried thoughts.

“Anna, I wouldn’t tell anyone anything even if killed me,” Jesse whispered.

She took a small sharp and panicked intake of air.

“Jesse don’t say that,” she hissed, the gravity of that sentence meaning more to her than he could comprehend.

“You know I don’t lie Anna Maria-May Stark,” Jesse said.

She grinned as he used her full name to emphasize his seriousness. It helped with her nerves and she could practically hearing him grinning too. She spoke again with a renewed fervor and backed away from the desk.

“Okay. Go to your roof, I’ll be there in ten minutes,” she said.

“My roof? I mean I can do that but why my ro-?” Jesse started to question but she heard him moving around.

“Just trust me okay?” She mumbled.

“Always, I mean that Anna,” he said.

She smiled warmly.

“I’ll be right there,” she said and hung up.

She changed into a t-shirt and leggings to make it easier for herself. Anna braved her family as she walked back into the dining area and refused to answer questions before they could even begin to ask her. She announced she was going on patrol early and silently thanked her Nana May who prevented her father wanting to follow. She may love spending time with her father but she needed her space every now and then. She took the private elevator to the car garage and exited out of the back of the building where passerby wouldn’t get a chance to freak over seeing the youngest Stark heiress. She pulled all her hair back to the nape of her neck and shook out her arms as she exited down an alley looking over her shoulder. The apartments around her were dark so she leaned against one of the brick walls and breathed in the cold night air. It felt nice on her warm face which was flushed from anxiety, and dried her sweaty palms.

Anna took one last glance around her before reaching over her head and feeling for the small spider clip on her scalp. She pulled over her head and the nanobyte technology reacted instantly, trickling down her exposed neck before over her clothes and down to her feet. She looked at her fingers and wiggled them when the dark skin was covered with shimmery, white vibranium infused material. She spread her arms and looked down as the sleeves expanded and the front of her uniform grew loose around her chest. She felt the light weight of her hood against her back as the suit neared completion and rolled her neck as it completed the spiderweb design across the whole white part of the suit. She kicked her toes against the concrete, the sound was completely silenced and she barely felt it. Anna gave herself a once over before nodding and pulling her hood up as the nanobyte surged up and formed her mask meet the hood. She blinked a few times and her system was up and running perfectly, she smiled as her heater started when Karen spoke.

“Good evening Anna, how was dinner?” Karen asked with a teasing voice.

“Very funny Karen,” Anna sighed sagging in dramatic frustration.

“Where are we headed tonite? Are we going to see Jesse again?” Karen asked.

“Yeah, we are,” Anna grumbled and the AI laughed.

“Shall I bring up incoming police coms to listen to on the way?” Karen asked.

Anna huffed. Karen made the emergency calls sound like a favorited playlist.

“No thats alright Karen, were going to take it easy for a bit tonite,” Anna said and shot a web up, slinging to the top of the building.

The rest of her time to Jesse’s apartment building was silent on both ends as Anna contemplated how to tell Jesse this secret. In conclusion she decided against just jumping out in the suit and pull off her hood. That plan of action wasn’t very original despite the unbelievability of the outcome. Jesse’s apartment building to came into view, and she landed on the back of the roof entrance. It was a basic black tar roof top, enclosed by a four foot guardrail that chipped red paint and had a single dimming flood light shining towards the front of the building. She peered around the corner of her hiding spot and caught sight of Jesse standing there towards the edge with his hands in his football jacket. He was pacing lightly back and forth with a bored and contemplative expression directed down at the roof top. The sight made her smile behind her mask and she pressed her pointer and middle finger to the silver spider on her chest. The silver web design disappeared first as the Spider separated and the suit was compacted back to the nano-bot on her scalp. She gently placed one leg down and eased off the wall into a crouch before standing up straight and quietly making her way up to Jesse who still hadn’t noticed her. She took a deep breath and stepped forward once more till she was three feet away and making her presence known.

“Jesse,” she said.

“Holy shit!” Jesse shouted jumping and swiveling around to face her.

Anna couldn’t help the amused giggle that escaped her lips. While she enjoyed herself, Jesse babbled to himself on how to breathe properly again, as he settled from his minor heart attack. He was leaning over with a hand on his thigh and another over his pounding heart. Anna crossed the space between them and laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

“Sorry for scaring you, you okay Jess?” Anna asked softly.

She wasn’t prepared when Jesse suddenly straightened up and threw his arms around her tightly. She flinched and stood still, her arms up in defense behind him but then she slowly rested her hands on his back before sliding he own arms around his torso. Jesse’s larger frame almost enveloped her as he leaned down, she felt secure as the scent of his cologne and his warm body heat accompanied the embrace reminding her of the hug he gave her earlier. She hugged him tighter and his shaky breath turned steady as he reassured himself that she was there.

“It’s okay,” she sighed gently curling her fingers into the back of his blue and yellow jacket.

He pulled back to look at her and she saw the relief fill his eyes.

“You’re here,” he mumbled.

“I’m here,” she reiterated back nodding her head.

His face twisted up for a moment and she watched his blue eyes grow glossy and moist from collecting tears. Jesse brought up a hand to his face pressing his thumb and fingers into his eyes as he squeezed them shut. Anna bit her lip and Jesse held up his other hand turning slightly away ashamed.

“i just need a -,” Jesse began to say.

“Oh you big nerd, stop being so sappy. I’m not going anywhere,” Anna said smiling sadly and moving his hands away from his face.

Something in the back of her mind told Anna there was more to Jesse’s emotional reaction than her just being there. Although there was relief in his face, she felt the desperation in the grip on her biceps, see the fear in tight jaw and hear the anxiety when he spoke.

“Sorry,” he said with a forced smile.

She shook her head and grinned teasingly at him while squeezing his forearms.

“So. Jesse Scott, big bad football quarterback, turns out not _only_ to be a nerd but one giant teddy bear too,” Anna laughed.

“Oh shut up!” Jesse moaned but joined in her laughter as it increased.

Jesse wiped the forming tears, now from laughter, from his vision and she wrapped her arms around herself as they settled down. Jesse sniffed the last remaining evidence of his emotional turmoil and ran his eyes up and down her body. If Anna didn’t know better she would’ve decked him across the face, superhuman strength not restrained, but Jesse merely frowned as he met her eyes and shook his head.

“Jeez Anna you have to be freezing, lets go inside and talk,” Jesse said walking past her and towards the roof entrance with his hand out to her.

She bit her lip and side stepped his leading hand walking backwards towards the edge of the terrace. Jesse turned, a foot away from the door, and his frown deepened with a raised eyebrow at her. She fidgeted under his eyes as her self-doubting nerves returned and now it was her turn to pace and rock side to side.

“I’m okay Jesse, and - and it’d be easier for me to fully explain what I’m about to tell you… what I’m about to show you,” she said shaking out her hands anxiously.

Jesse looked at her with sympathy then and placed a hand on the doorknob, determined to coax the shaking girl, whether from fear or the cold, inside to talk.

“Anna it’s okay. Whatever it is I’m not gonna judge you, plus who would I tell? You’re my only friend,” Jesse said shrugging.

“‘Only friend’?” She questioned with a smirk.

“My ‘ _best’_ friend,” Jesse corrected smirking back with a small head twirl.

She smiled at him with a genuine warmth. Daddy had always told her how lucky he was to have Ned, and her mother at the time, as a best friend. Being Ned was the only one, besides her grandfather, who found out who Peter actually was, he considered it a blessing that Ned understood everything and knew not to say anything. He had trusted her uncle with a secret that could’ve quite literally ended his life if it had been revealed, and he had scored big time. Anna’s twisted into a playful smirk and a playful, dangerous glint entered her eyes.

“Who is you favorite Avenger?” She asked.

“Um, is this a trick question? I thought you made it clear that any ‘nerd’ talk involving the Avengers was off limits,” Jesse asked with a nervous glance around them like he was on some hidden camera show.

“No Jess, its a real question. I know what I said but now I want to know - who is your favorite Avenger?” She asked with a little more assertiveness this time.

Jesse swallowed hard looking up to the sky and rubbing at his chin as he mulled over her question.

“Well Black Panther is pretty cool, the Scarlett Witch is totally badass which is awesome- “ Jesse mumbled.

“Iron Man?” She asked twirling around with her back to him now and facing the guardrails.

“Amazing,” Jesse said.

“What about… Spider-Man?” Anna asked craning her neck to the side slightly to hear his response.

“Of course! I mean he’s from the hometown - he’s a top three favorite,” Jesse huffed.

She nodded as she stepped up to the small lip on their side of the roof and looked over the side of the four story building at the street below. It was mostly dark, save for a few unaware people beneath the street lights and a couple exiting a taxi into the building.

“Anna - be careful. You’re kinda close to the edge. Wait, is your secret being an adrenaline junkie? ‘Cause if thats the case we can go inside and watch horror movies if you want? Jesse said letting go of the doorknob now.

She hopped up on the railing edge then, she spread out her arms for mock balance as she stuck to the railing edge. She lifted her chin up and turned slightly on her heel to face Jesse, he looked mortified and held out his hands.

“An-!” Jesse shouted.

“Spider-Girl?” Anna asked holding up a finger to silence him.

“Wh-what?! Anna come down before-!” Jesse demanded.

“Answer the question Jesse,” she said.

“She’s - she’s cool, I don’t know,” Jesse stuttered nervously eyes flickering between her face and her feet.

His whole body language screamed he was getting ready to lunge and catch her, as he inched forward. She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips, placing her hands on her hips and her shoulders jumped as she huffed.

“You don’t know? Rude,” she huffed.

He swallowed hard and leaned forward.

“Anna can you please scold me on the ground?!” Jesse yelled.

She looked at him, looked at the ground behind her before turning to face him again and shrugged.

“Okay,” she said.

And she jumped. Off the building.

“ _ANNA!_ ” Jesse screamed.

The boy ran forward, heart pounding out of his chest and eyes open wide. He leaned over the railing preparing for the worst but hoping for the best, the wind whipping past his face as he leaned as far across as he could. He couldn’t see much beneath him, there was an empty crosswalk, the sound of a trash can falling to the ground and the only movement was his neighbors blue sedan exiting the small parking garage. Jesse felt the blood rush faster and faster through his ears as he scoured about frantically while his chaotic thoughts tried to make sense of the situation. The conclusion to him just seemed to morbid and unacceptable.

Anna just… killed herself.

She jumped off a building.

Right in _front_ him.

And he had done _nothing._

How could this have happened? How could he have _let_ this happen? He was standing right there, he should’ve moved faster, he should’ve grabbed her instead of pleading with her. He let her jump off the railing and just watched her do it like a coward. Jesse’s anxiety bubbled to a max as panic set it and he threw his hands in the air backing away from the railing like it was on fire. His breathing turned short and staccato like it had earlier, when he thought he had lost his only friend since fourth grade. Now she was truly lost. He wheezed out a curse and placed his hands over his mouth as he tried to regain control of the settling panic attack. What did he do? Who did he tell? Holy shit, how did he tell her family — _Iron Man_. The granddaughter of a real life super hero dead because her coward friend let her jump. He pulled at his hair and stepped back away more from the railing.

“So essentially you think Spider-Girl is boring, huh?” A voice grumbled behind him.

Jesse screamed.

He had never screamed so loud in his life and when he swiveled around, his eyes followed the sound to above him and looked up at the roof top entrance and there sat-.

“Anna,” he choked out eyes widening.

_Im-fucking-possible._

_No._

It couldn’t be Anna. Grief was driving him to hallucinate. This was just an hallucination to help his traumatized mind, a solution to a reality he couldn’t accept yet. No. Anna Stark had just jumped off a four story building and there was no way she could be sitting above him like that. Truthfully when he had looked at the ground he hadn’t seen a body but no-one could survive a fall like that. However, there she sat, to his disbelief, on top of the entrance with her smug grin she wore when she had fooled him and her legs swinging back and forth like a bored six year old. He hadn’t realized he was backing away from her when his shoulders hit the railing and he brought his hands up to grip the rungs. Jesse slowly shook his head in disbelief.

“You just jumped off a building,” he mumbled shakily his voice fluctuating with every word.

“Did you blink? And that doesn’t answer my question Jess,” Anna said twisting a piece of hair around her finger to pluck a loose leaf off the end.

“You’re supposed to be dead, you’re - you’re a grief c-created hallucination. You cant be real, you _can’t_ be,” Jesse stressed quickly as he continued to shake his head, jaw clenched.

She frowned deeply and stood up, Jesse’s head leaned back to look up at her and she grimaced at the tension and fear on his features. He was sweating and his eyes were glossy, his chest falling and rising in short huffs and his knuckles turned white as he squeezed harder. She stood up and he jumped slightly at her movement, but his jaw dropped as she vaulted into the air doing a front flip and landed on the railing again beside him in a perfect squat. Anna sat back on her haunches and draped her arms across her thighs as she leaned down to peer into his face and Jesse gasped. The distant lights left a soft glow on her chocolate colored skin, warm earthy brown eyes twinkled mischievously and her nose and cheeks were dusted a deeper shade from the cold air.

“Do I look like a ghost?” She breathed, her breath washed over his face with the hint of tomato sauce and Italian spices from her dinner.

Jesse stood frozen and swallowed to wet his dry throat.

“H-how?” He whispered.

“You tell me nerd?” She said, her smile returning as she hopped off the railing onto the tar roof this time.

“I- I don’t know Anna, how did - how _could_ anyone survive a fall like that?!” Jesse stuttered as he walked away from her and the railing.

She rolled her eyes, pouting at his antics and walked up to him with crossed arms. He stopped his retreat looking down at her with apprehension in his eyes and his shoulders tense ready for flight or fight. She shook her head and uncrossed her arms, she watched the defense ebb away slowly when she did this.

“Maybe you’re not asking yourself the right questions Jesse. How about; how did you get here so quickly? How did you get on the roof without a key card-?” Anna rambled off slowly.

Jesse’s eyes ripped away from her moving form now and darted to the keypad on the door. The red light remained steady from when he locked the door and he hadn’t recalled hearing the door open. When he looked back to Anna she was smirking at him and circling him like an animal.

“How did you get up there? And not ‘ _how could anyone survive’_ but maybe — _who could?”_ Anna suggested.

He looked at her as she stopped circling him and looked between his eyes. She was desperate for him to know, desperate for him to put the pieces together and figure it out like she figured out his secret. Anna watched him ponder the thoughts and questions she proposed, trying to make sense of the puzzle she laid out without a reference picture but a cheat sheet. There simply was not enough context and he was still confused and now growing agitated, she smiled sympathetically and decided she had over done it.

“Jesse what I’m trying to get you to figure out is the reason I insist on walking you home, the reason I bail on study sessions and sometimes skip class — its the reason I can do everything I showed you tonight,” she said earnestly, grabbing his hands and smiling excitedly at him.

“What is Anna? You know what! Re- remember when I told you this whole ‘mysterious’ thing wasn’t working for you!? Now it is just plain — !” Jesse started to yell at her, growing frustrated and pointing at her face accusingly.

Anna ground her jaw in annoyance and let out a hard and audible sigh. She had tried to let him figure it out on his own but now he was just being impatient. So much for being a super fan. Fed up with his outbursts and mood swings she stepped away cutting him off and threw up her hands.

“Jesus Jesse, your so dense! I’ll just show you then,” she groaned and found the clip yanking forward over her head.

She didn’t pull completely forward, just so that the edge of the hood rested on the crown of her head. The suit had formed more quickly in response to her speed in movement and she held out her arms to display the full splendor of the shiny white suit. Silver inlays of technology etched in the spider web design of the white areas of the suit, hot pink utility belt wrapped around her upper waist that stored her web fluid, her bomber jacket held by a silver spider drone like the one of the Mk I Spider-Man suit and hot pink trim around the knees and wrists of her suit. She twisted her wrists to show him the dexterity of the web shooter thats snugly fit into her palm. His eyes glazed over every inch of the new entity in front of him as he stood there, mouth open mid-sentence while his brain caught up. Then he gasped and was reeling and stumbling backwards, he curled into himself and dragged his hands down his face till he cradled his mouth in his palms.

“No fucking way,” Jesse wheezed out into his hands.

“Language,” Anna scolded half-heartedly and placed her hands on her hips.

“You’re - **Spider-Girl** ,” Jesse mumbled, voice still hollowed.

Anna huffed in amusement, cocking her head to the side.

“You’re taking this better than I expected. I was expecting tears of geeky excitement or a spontaneous melt down,” Anna pondered as she eyed him up and down.

“You’re Spider-Girl,” he simply repeated.

“Oh god I think I’ve broke you,” she gasped lightly as she surged forward and grabbed his hands away from his face.

He inhaled sharply, now able to breathe openly and she watched the breakdown begin. Jesse threw his hands up and started to shake them vigorously as he paced back and forth in front of her. He would look up from time to time, wondering if she was real or if she would disappear and when she was still there he would go back to pacing. When he spoke he did so to himself and in a high pitched squeaky rant.

“Holy shit, my best friend is fucking Spider-Girl, that means- oh my god your dad is Spider-Man, that means Iron Man adopted Spider-Man and Iron Maiden is — You’re literally that superhero family from that _Sky High_ movie,” Jesse concluded between gasps of air and stopping to throw his hands in her direction.

She rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, leaving one hand on her hip, shifted her weight on to one led and began tapping her opposite foot against the ground with a dull thud of her boot.

“Out of all of this, you compare me to a grade D movie with a family of generic and uninteresting superpowers. Really? I thought you could do better, super nerd,” Anna tutted while giving him an unimpressed look and wave of her hand.

He seemed to ignore the insult and started bouncing on his heels, in childlike glee.

“Anna this is amazing! You’re-,” Jesse started to shout, his voice growing louder.

Instantaneously she was in front of him with her gloved hand over his mouth. She could feel the heat of his breath through the fabric and watched his awe spread into his gaze at her fast reflexes. Anna narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in annoyance as she turned the tables back on him.

“ _You’re_ being too loud,” she snapped as she slowly removed her hand from his mouth in still in mid-exclamation.

Reality seemed to hit him and he nodded slowly in response closing his mouth, Anna simulated a deep and calming breath moving her hand palm outwards with her movements. Jesse copied her breathing pattern till he let out a deflated breath and his wound up shoulders dropped as his initial excitement died. Anna, now secure that Jesse had found control over himself walked over to the railing and sat on the small stoop, she looked up at him and patted the spot beside her. Jesse walked over slowly, not keeping his eyes off of her as he sat down as she pulled the hood completely off. They sat there staring at each other for a moment before she quirked her head to the side and her lip twitched in the ghost of a smirk. When he spoke next his voice was quieter but still held a tone of awe and amazement, as the smile never left his face.

“Anna I- I never would’ve guessed. Even with all those hints you just dropped, you’re right, I'm so dense,” Jesse whispered eyes flickering over her face.

Her smirk grew revealing pearly white teeth like her suit before speaking again in a teasing matter.

“I’m not good at the ‘mysterious act’, huh?” Anna asked.

“I voluntarily eat those words,” Jesse said with pride and lifted his chin.

She threw back her head and laughed, him following suit before she relaxed back and grinned at him.

“So no questions?” She asked.

“Oh! I have questions, for sure! Many indeed! I’m just still taking this all in,” Jesse said indicating to her with a hand up and down.

“I’m sorry for the dramatic reveal, I kinda wanted you to figure it out on your own… it only seemed fair to me,” Anna mumbled looking away from him.

“Just don’t jump off anything else without telling me you’re a superhero again, okay?” Jesse said as he leaned around to try and look her in the eyes.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and chuckled, nodding and biting her tongue then.

“Good,” he exhaled pressing his head back again the railing and closing his eyes.

There was a comfortable silence then as they sat side by side. In the distance around them the sounds of the nightlife in Queens, a cold gust of October air brushed across them moving their hair and her hood, Jesse’s cheek we’re bright red but Anna could still feel the warmth of his shoulder pressed against hers. She could feel the weird normal atmosphere settling between them, but still carrying the undertone of crackling excitement. Finally, Anna felt a metaphorical weight off her shoulders that she physically showed by slumping forward on her knees and hanging her head down.

“Don’t worry, I felt the same way,” Jesse mumbled as she felt a warm palm slide across her jacket back.

She turned her head to the side to look at him for a minute and his eyes strayed sadly to the side and away from hers. He lifted his shoulders in a small shrug.

“After you found out and I freaked out, which I tend to do a lot, I was — relieved. I was happy, I looked forward to having someone know a-again,” Jesse said.

Now, Anna would’ve questioned what he meant by again but decided against prying. Their world was peaceful yet again and she didn’t want to stir it up with new and raw discoveries. Besides they were still cleaning up this new mess. Which came to the next point of the needed conversation, that was _very_ important.

“Jesse I- I don’t think I need to ask-,” Anna mumbled nervously.

“I will not tell a soul. Regardless of how extremely awesome this is, its not my secret to share. Plus I realize, and will continue to, the repercussions and dangers it would put you through,” Jesse said.

Anna smiled and grabbed his hand that squeezed her shoulder. She was glad he understood so well and she didn’t have to give a speech about the importance of keep an identity. She leaned back then, moving his hand to their sides and interlacing their fingers as she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt his fall against hers soon after.

“Thank you, Jesse,” she said.

“I still can’t promise not to internally freak out every time I see you now because my best friend if Spider-Girl and nobody else gets to say that,” Jesse grinned comically and Anna laughed.

“So how does the suit work?” Jesse asked shifting slightly to face her.

“Theres a clip attached to the hair on the back of my neck. It’s close to the scalp to be unnoticeable, hidden and it houses the nanobyte technology of the suit,” Anna explained.

“Woahhhh, you mean like the Mk 83 that your grandfather wore when he defeated Thanos?” Jesse asked with wide eyes.

“You mean the _Avengers_ defeated Thanos? Because the Mk 1 of the Iron Spider and the Mk 3 of the Spider-Man suit both use the same tech. The Mk 3 and my Mk 1 both use vibranium woven graphene cloth as it’s basic fundamental structure,” Anna lectured.

Jesse watched with a fascinated expression, his jaw slack and eyes trained on her. When she finished her nerd rant he closed his mouth and shook his head.

“If I wasn’t gay I’d kiss you right now,” he said as casually as possible.

Anna began to hysterically laugh and Jesse grinned, fighting back chuckles as he continued on.

“However that would be totally weird considering you’re like my sister,” Jesse said.

Anna recovered from her laughing fit, wiping moisture from her lashes and beamed at him with gentle eyes.

“I love you too, Jess,” she said.

He threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight side hug, resting his chin on top of her head. Anna’s smile turned softer as she rested her hands against the arm that wrapped around her front and sighed in contentment.

“You’re such nerd,” Jesse suddenly then said.

She swatted playfully at his arm and he chuckled at her sad attempt. The silence was then interrupted by a soft beep coming from Anna’s left wrist. She flipped her arm around and felt Jesse’s curious onlooking as she observed the pulsing blue light. Time to go.

“I gotta go,” she said.

However, instead of letting her go she felt Jesse’s arm tighten then and looked up at him questionably. He tried to avoid her look and licked his lips before answering the silent question.

“Is it bad?” He asked.

“I don’t know… not until I get there at least,” she said gently but truthfully.

She watched Jesse’s jaw clench, eyes become glossy and out focus before Anna shifted to better look up at him and see his uncomfortable expression.

“Jess, I’ll be okay. I have back up too, if its too much for just me,” Anna said.

He looked at her and she could see a deep rooted fear. Traumatized. Something had happened and his small slip up from earlier further confirmed this thought. She almost considered staying because of that look, almost. She was a hero, she protected and right now someone close to her needed her. In his hazel eyes she could see his mind making plans on how to convince her to stay, keep her sitting on this roof with him and she wouldn’t lie when she said it ignited a little annoyance in her. However, she quickly cooled that hot headed train of thought, the idea that Jesse was trying to stop her because she was incapable. She didn’t know the whole store but for now she could safely assume that Jesse was like her dad, and he didn’t want to lose her like he had others.

“How about we make a deal? I’ll text you as soon as I finish my patrol and then tomorrow you come for dinner?” Anna suggested.

“Dinner? As in, with your family?” Jesse asked his grip loosened as the gravity of that hit him and Anna took the moment to stand up and look down at him.

Yeah, with all of them. They already think I like you thanks to my mom meeting you at the library. I shouldn’t be left to suffer with you secret alone nerd,” she huffed stretching her arms up and then down in a straight forward bend.

“Wait, what? What did you say!? _Like you?_ As in like _like_ you? Oh god! Don’t you realize Spider-Man and Iron Man can kill me with a flick of their wrists - in like two seconds! _Anna!”_ Jesse gasped jumping up and having another meltdown.

“What?! You told me not to tell anyone!” Anna shouted in defense grabbing her hood and sliding away in alarm.

Jesse appeared anxious as he looked around the area around them. Steam billowed out of the exhaust pipe beside the roof entrance and now much later his breath could be seen even in the dim light as he blew you frustratingly. He held up his hands in mock surrender like earlier that day and fixed her with a semi-serious look.

“Okay! Okay! You can tell your family as long as they think - if you think they will-,” Jesse said quickly, unsure and self-consciousness crossing face.

She smiled sympathetically and cut him off.

“Jesse my cousin is gay, and my mom practically coddled him when we found out. She helped him through the whole process of coming out to every one. She’s going to love you - they’ll all love you,” Anna said.

She pulled up her hood and her mask formed as she did leaving Jesse speechless- again.

“Damn,” he breathed.

“Language Jesse, watch your language,” she scolded playfully and her eye pieces narrowed into oblong slits at him.

“So cool,” he squeaked instead.

She smirked to herself beneath the mask as she bounced off her toes on to the guardrail in another squat. Jesse turned to look at her as she stood and saluted down to him.

“See you later, citizen!” She said, one eye piece winking.

Then with a quick flick of her wrist, she was swinging away, the fading sound of a whizz and snap following her away. Jesse breathlessly watched as she swung around a building launching off that latest web and out of sight. He swallowed hard and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the railing and spoke aloud to no one but himself and the wind.

“Be careful Spider-Girl,” he mumbled.


	4. I Told You Not to Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Be careful"

**FEW HOURS LATER**

  
****

Anna landed on the windows outside her bedroom, FRIDAY hurriedly opened the panel beside her and closed it when Anna twirled in landing in a crouch. FRIDAY greeted her as she stood up straight and yanked back the hood, she let her eyes adjust and shook her hair free from the her small ponytail. She says hello while retrieving her phone she left laying on top of her comforter and follows through with her end of the deal and texts Jesse, while she types FRIDAY speaks again.

“Anna your father wants to speak with you. He is down in his lab,” FRIDAY relayed.

Anna groaned a little turning and leaving her room. The penthouse is quiet and dark, everyone besides her and her father are asleep in their rooms. She stealthily makes her way to the elevator, the soft padding of her boots the only sound and FRIDAY opens the elevator door as she approaches. She leans against the mirror wall of the small elevator and watches the three dots in her messages appear as she chews on her bottom lip and waits for Jesse’s reply.

_Anna: I’m home! It was nothing special, a guy with a nswasn’t happy about that. I suggested a 7/11 while dislocating his shoulder._

_Jesse: Good._

_Jesse: That you got home okay._

_Jesse: Not for the guy._

_Jesse: Sounds like the guy needs meds not coffee_

_Anna: He’s gonna need painkillers after the headache I gave him_

_Jesse: Remind me never to piss you off_

She giggled to herself and sent a wink face emoji as the elevator opened to the labs. She walked down the white marble and glass hallway to her father’s door and entered her passcode. The door opened slid open with soft sound of compression and closed behind her again as she walked into the big room. She looked up and saw her father hunched over one of his work benches and concentrating on a small device in front of him. She smiled. Her father’s lab tended to be a bit messier than her grandfather’s. Holographic display boards suspended in the air by built in projectors, other screens displayed schematics for new inventions and ideas, a wall similar to her mother’s book nook lined the back of the lab full of gadgets and books, papers were scattered across work benches with sketches and various calculations hurriedly written down, bottles and beakers were either locked away in a cabinet containing more than her father really needed or sitting in the sink in the corner. Her favorite was the small area her father reserved for work on their Spidey gadgets, her grandfather made the suits but they sure had fun with their own ideas, and plus they were always trying new concoctions of their web fluid, something Tony refused to touch. He was currently in that little space and she could see the light from the desk lamp pointed down at her father’s Droney.

“How was patrol?” Peter asked not looking up as he adjusted one of the legs with tiny pliers.

“Boring. There was a small hold up at some coffee shop, that was the most exciting I suppose,” She said with a shrug.

She pulled over a stool next to him and clambered on, watching over his shoulder with her phone on her lap.

Peter smirked as he placed down the tools he was using and looked over his shoulder at her. She smiled up at him with some expectant feeling in the back of her mind. He simply reached over and fixed a flyaway curl from her head, smoothing it out into the rest of them. She grew impatient and wiggled in her seat waiting for him to speak.

“What?” She asked teasingly when his gaze lingered over her face.

“Hm. You remind me of myself is all,” he hummed and shook his head softly.

She beamed. Despite his amused tone, it made her happy and giddy. She knew he was referring to her teenage fueled impatience that he had experienced when becoming Spider-Man. She felt ready to take on something bigger and these menial tasks were getting to her, just like that had him. Nonetheless, it made her stomach flip when someone pointed out a quality she had that reminded them of her dad.

“Must’ve been worse for you,” she said.

“Oh? Why? Because I was new to everything?” He asked raising an eyebrow and smirking.

“No, cause you’re a guy,” she snorted.

Peter threw back his head and laughed. His whole body shaking with the force of his amusement, she giggled along with him but more so at her father’s reaction. She took the opportunity though to boost herself off her stool and settle onto her father’s lap. Peter’s laughter settled into a tender smile at her affectionate move, as she curled up her legs and wrapped her arms around his torso. He grunted in effort as he pulled her up closer and enveloped her in a wrought iron hug, resting her cheek on her head. She huffed in response to his dramatized groan and cuddled closer to his chest.

“You and I both know that I weigh nothing to you, despite how big I’m getting,” she said.

“But thats it, you’re getting big. You’re growing up and its scaring me,” he whined.

Oh, her father was more emotional than a teenage girl. Trust her, she knew. She was one.

“Gross, you’re so - mushy,” she complained but still remained curled close to him.

“And there is your mother,” he chuckled into her hair.

There was a small lapse of silence and Anna enjoyed listening to her father’s steady, rapid heartbeat as he rubbed circles over her back. This was nice. It reminded her of when she was little and she would get nightmares, unable to fall back asleep. She would tip toe into her parents room, always trying not to wake up her father who would miraculously be awake every time she came in. Later, she deducted he would sense her coming and be ready to welcome and comfort her, when she came in puffy eyed and dragging a stuffed spider behind her. Sometimes if it was bad he slide out of bed and meet her at the door to pick her up, but others she just crawled into bed and snuggled down between them. Michelle would wake from the feeling the bed move and drape an arm over them both after Peter would pull her ear over his heart and rub her back still she drifted off. Peter’s heartbeat was the most like her own and helped to steady her anxiety, while her mothers slower heartbeat pulsed in tandem with their own and sent her into peaceful sleep. It was comforting, even now, and as she got older she would linger in hugs, just to listen like she was doing now. However, when his already rapid heartbeat quickened she looked up at him and noticed his anxious face.

“What’s wrong Daddy?” She asked eyebrows furrowing in concern.

He fidgeted in his spot for a moment and chewed on his bottom lip, eyes darting downward in thought.

“So - so this boy your mom was talking about at dinner…,” Peter stuttered.

She smiled and nodded.

“Go on,” she said.

“Jeez. I can’t believe —I’ve had every talk about the power secret with you before you started school but I never thought to have the ‘boy talk’,” he mumbled, his voice strained at the end.

“Dad- ,” Anna began with a sigh.

“No, wait, let me finish! I promise you I will not freak out or be extreme with any boys you want to-start, having interests in. As long as your honest with me. You know you can talk to me about anything okay?” Peter said with a triumphant smile, like he had accomplished the hardest thing in his life.

“Including sex?” Anna asked innocently.

All the color drained from his face, as his eyes grew wide and mortified.

“Daddy. Breathe,” she instructed.

He exhaled hard through his nose and she laughed.

“I’m just kidding Daddy, nothing like that is happening any time soon,” she reassured.

“Oh. Oh, good. Yeah, good. That’s good,” he squeaked nodding his head vigorously.

She felt his arms tighten even more as he continued on and she closed her eyes pressing her face into his shoulder.

“What I’m trying to say is, if you like this boy I’m okay with it and we would all like to meet him,” Peter said.

She smiled sadly up him and stretched as much as she could to kiss his cheek. He relaxed a bit with a smile tugging at his lips and she wiggled her arms free to wrap around his neck and looked at him straight in the eye.

“Daddy I do really like this guy, like _really_ like this guy. I love him in fact,” she said.

That sent her dad back into a small panic and he started his rebuttal quickly as he held up a finger and tried to adopt a stern tone.

“Now Anna-,” he tried to say firmly recovering from shock.

However she cut him off by placing her own finger on his lips.

“But I’m telling you right now its not what you think. Jesse is my best friend, I really care about him but I would never date him,” she said.

“Anna, your mother was one of my best friends before we started dating,” Peter reasoned.

“Daddy- lets just say this; Jesse would probably prefer Spider-Man posters over Spider-Girl posters if you get what I mean?” She said with a smirk.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion looking at her with complete cluelessness. Ugh, boys.

“Daddy,” she whined, tired of people not catching on to her drift.

“Anna I really don’t get wh- wait. Do you mean -?” Peter asked with his eyes growing wide.

She smiled and nodded. Peter sat there with his mouth open like a fish, words lost to surprise and matched her head bobbing up in down as he came to understand.

“Oh. Ohhh. Wow okay. _Oh my god_ I’m going to kill your mother,” Peter finally groaned and dropped his head while Anna laughed.

He straightened back up again and looked at her right in the eyes with a sheepish smirk.

“I know this probably sounds awful, but thank god,” Peter said.

That had her laughing again, him along with her this time. She missed these moments. When she was homeschooled she always spent time with her father. Some of these moments slipped away when she started high school and he worked more often now. Even their patrol times were split that they barely saw each other during the heroic adventures. Plus the missions with Avengers that she was not yet ready to join, she felt somewhat left in the dust. She didn’t tell him that though, knowing her worrying father he’d set things, too many things, aside to make more time with her. It would be selfish and he was doing really good things as Dr.Stark _and_ Spider-Man right now that she would feel too guilty to pull him away from. She slid off his lap and reach behind her to close up her suit, she shivered instantly in the colder lab with out her insulated uniform.

“So, I wanted to ask if it would be okay if Jesse came over tomorrow? We have that project to work on and then maybe dinner?” She asked.

“I think that would be just fine,” Peter said with a small smile and stood up.

He turned off the lamp on his work bench and placed Droney in a glass box on the table. Anna peered at the small bot curiously.

“What’s wrong with him?” She asked.

“Eh I think the cold weather might’ve messed with his circuits. I’ve been slow to update him and he knocked into a roof the other night while scouting a drug bust. Camera is a little off the axis but he should be fine after FRIDAY completes some updates,” Peter said shrugging.

“Thats good. Thanks Daddy, for tomorrow,” Anna said.

“Of course. And next time I think I’ll let you talk first,” he said with a chuckle.

“ _And_ listen to me when I tell you Mama is messing with you?” She said with a triumphant grin as they made their way to the elevator.

“I will never doubt you again,” Peter said slinging an arm around her and playfully jostling her.

She giggled and wrapped an arm around his waist as they climbed upwards in the elevator to the penthouse. They stood in comfortable silence before a thought occurred and she looked up at him quickly, sensing this he met her eyes with an expectant look and she bit her lip.

“Obviously you know Jesse is in the newspaper and you’re- _we’re_ the last people who need to be told when to keep a secret, because Jesse said I could tell you guys but-,” Anna began to say.

Peter cut her off and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

“Secrets are safer with nobody else,” Peter said.

She smiled and nodded before yawning loudly.

“Daddy?” She mumbled tiredly while rubbing one of her eyes with a fist.

“Yeah sweetheart?” He asked.

Anna felt her cheeks flush and she looked away from her dad with a shy expression. She wasn’t ready to lose more time with him yet she felt silly for asking for a childish thing. What the heck.

“Could I- could I sleep with you and Mama tonite?” She asked as the door to elevator opened with a soft bing.

He smiled and shook the curls on her head playfully.

“Go get ready,” he instructed and she grinned at his affirmation bounding to her room.

Peter beamed at her enthusiasm and walked down to his room. The lights were already off, the moonlight from the floor to ceiling window offered so illumination. Michelle was already sound asleep under the heavy silk gray comforter and lightly snoring. He smirked at her spray of curls wildly engulfing the space around her as she hugged a pillow to her head. He noticed the blanket had fallen down her shoulders and the ripple of goosebumps on her dark skin. Peter grabbed a sweater, of course with a science pun (cause he’d never grow out of those), over his head and then went to fix the blanket back around his wife. His smile grew tender as he watched her curl up and he moved a curl from her eyes.

He turned then to the door hearing the light padding of feet stopping in the doorway. Anna stood there in a light yellow sweater they had gotten somewhere on a family trip and spotted gray fleece pants. He beckoned her over and with child like glee hurried over to his side of the bed. The curls pulled into the small pony tail on her head bouncing with her movement as she slid into the center of the bed and closed her eyes.

Peter remembered when she was younger and they would pin up her hair like that into a small pom-pom like style. It was adorable with the little bows, flowers or ribbons that May and Pepper would buy to put in it. He once had told Michelle he thought it would look pretty grown out too, it would look Michelle’s hair and she really would look like her mother. Peter enjoyed the idea of a daughter looking just like his beautiful bride and he had gotten his wish. So even against said wife’s warning, they grew out her hair till it was down to her waist which took no time at all Peter discovered. However, soon Peter realized his mistake when it came to washing said hair. Anna had barely cried when she was a baby, always the good and sweet quiet girl, only fussy when she needed to be changed or was hungry or when Peter had to take care of some emergency as Spider-Man. Nonetheless, when it was his turn to give her a bath he had to stop and hand over the job to Michelle halfway through. Curly hair got knotty easily, longer curly hair even more so. Peter had told Michelle if they had a girl he’d be wrapped around her little finger. Anna was his baby, his little princess. So when he started to pull the brush, that atrocity of a torture instrument, through her hair and she started to wail harder than he had ever heard her before Peter felt more like a villain than her hero. He admitted to getting teary eyed when his sensitive hearing echoed the pained cries she let loose as he tugged on her sensitive head. The next day he booked an appointment for her hair to be cut back to shoulder length and they waited till she was older, so she could brush her own hair and decided what length she’d like to keep at. She kept it at a bobcat to her chin most of the time, sometimes letting it grown but never past her shoulders.

“Dad,” she whined from her spot looking up with heavy eyes and chin tucked under the cover.

Pulled from his thoughts Peter shook his head and nodded.

“Coming,” he whispered and lifted the blanket to slide in beside her.

She turned over to face him then and he kept his arm raised as she snuggled closer. Anna drew up her knees so her shins laid against his thighs and he wrapped his arm around her after she securely made herself into a ball. He brushed back the few fly aways that tickled his chin and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Told old for this?” She asked.

“Never,” Peter said and kissed her forehead.

There was a dip in the bed beside them and Peter looked over as Michelle faced them with her eyes closed but a small smile on her lips.

“Oh, two heaters tonite? Good. I was starting to get chilly,” Michelle mumbled.

Anna giggled as her mother slid an arm over her waist and her father lifted his arm to pull her closer to the tight cocoon. Anna nuzzled her way under her father’s chin further with a content hum as her mother pressed her face into her back. She listened to their heartbeats that lulled her into warm, inviting sleep with her parents wrapped around her. Peter found sleep shortly after his girls did with a content smile and happy dreams.


	5. Avengers Pajamas and Chalk

The next morning Anna woke up to get ready for school and Peter mumbled a sleepy ‘goodbye’ and ‘have a good day’ to her as she slipped out of their room to hers. She yawned turning on the shower and brushed lazily through her unruly hair once she threw a pound of conditioner in it. She freshened herself up and grabbed her white fluffy bathrobe while deciding what to wear to school. She pulled out one of her dad’s old science pun sweaters tugging it over her head then. The sweater was a little too big for her, it hung off her shoulders and the sleeves fell past her hands, but it was soft, warm, and carried the faint scent of her father. She grabbed her black backpack, combat boots (a birthday gift from her Aunt Wanda), and shuffled into the kitchen. The smell of coffee filled the air and as always her grandfather was up making himself a pot of caffeinated coffee. Beside him a pot of fresh steaming coffee, decaffeinated, for her and eventually her father when he decided to rejoin the land of the living.

“Morning kiddo!” Tony yawned.

He was sitting at the island waiting for his coffee to finish with a holographic pulled up of daily ongoings and such.

“Morning,” she greeted while pulling a mug from the cabinet and dropping her boots on the ground.

She poured herself a small amount of the decaf, adding milk and three cubes of sugar. She blew on the still hot beverage and took a sip. Perfect. She walked around to join him at the island, kissing his cheek on the way which made him smile.

“How’d you sleep?” He asked pushing away the hologram to look at her.

“Squished,” she huffed pulling on a boot and lacing them up.

Tony watched her with a smile, knowing the meaning behind her words. Before she understood why sometimes Peter would leave at night and not return for some hours, Anna would seek out comfort. Sometimes when her mother’s company was not enough to ease her anxiety so, she’d sneak into her grandparent's room. Tony would be lying if he said Pepper was the only one excited about that nights that she would wander up to them. Most of the time she woke him up first and curled up in his lap under the blanket with a fluffy plush spider in her arms. He’d sit there and patiently answered the questions she’d ask him every time: “Where’s Daddy?”, “Why is Daddy gone tonite, Grandpa?”, and “Can you go get Daddy, please Grandpa?”. Grandpa knew everything, Grandpa was smart and Grandpa was Iron Man, so Grandpa was strong. She’d look at him with red puffy eyes and a quivering bottom lip and for all his might he felt powerless when he said she’d have to wait a little longer. It made her upset but she never fussed about being a little more patient when he said so. Nonetheless, it was painful, for all of them, to keep the Spider-Man secret from her until she had grasped her own powers.

“So,um- ?” Anna began to say pulling him from his thoughts.

“Hm?” Tony hummed.

“I invited Jesse over for dinner tonite,” she said while he was taking a sip of his coffee.

Tony choked a little on the hot drink and Anna rolled her eyes at his reaction.

“Delinquent boy?” Tony asked.

“Grandpa,” Anna groaned.

“Hey! Your parents forbid I research him so I only have to go off of what your mother said,” Tony defended.

“Grandpa we both know you looked him up, even if just a little bit. He’s not a delinquent, he plays football,” she sighed placing both feet on the ground.

“So douchey jock?” He asked wiggling his eyebrows at her over his coffee mug.

Anna stood up and shouldered her bag shaking her head in disbelief.

“Try sweet, Avengers fangirl,” she said.

“Sure he’s not interested-?” Tony asked narrowing his eyes, now suspicious this boy was using her to meet his idols.

“In girls? Yes, Grandpa, gay boys usually don’t date girls,” Anna spit out turning on her heel and walking away.

“Wait, what?” Tony sputtered out looking at her slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

He wasn’t expecting that. She turned as she backed away to the elevator and continued to explain.

“Something Mama didn’t know and failed to learn before saying anything is that Jesse is gay. Please don’t tell anyone, not that I think you would but just mentioning. Also, do me a favor and roast Mom for me? Thanks, Grandpa” Anna said turning back to face the elevator as it opened for her.

“So- so you’re not interested in this guy?” Tony asked.

He had been so sure. Pepper had been so sure and rarely did he question that.

“For the fifth hundred times, no,” Anna called back before the door of the elevator closed.

-

“Delinquent?! You didn’t tell me they think I’m some delinquent! Anna!” Jesse cried in his usually emotional way when she filled him in on this morning’s conversation with her grandfather.

They shuffled off the subway car that housed a plethora of sleepy New Yorker’s on their way to work. They managed to avoid the shoving and pushing as they made their way down the exit and onto the streets. The sky was cloudy and it was affecting everyone mood this early in the morning, apparently, Jesse was not excluded.

“Relax nerd, it was my mom just messing around to get my dad and my grandpa worked up. He’s gonna explain to her why she was so horribly wrong in the most humiliating way possible, hopefully,” Anna sighed.

“Are you sure me coming over is a good idea?” He asked swallowing hard.

“They all want to meet you and besides we won't have to sit in the dreary old library every day,” she said shrugging nonchalantly.

“Jeez I thought I’d be nervous meeting a date’s parents,” Jesse mumbled moving away briefly to allow someone to pass between them.

“I’m nervous to meet your parents, of course, if you ever want me to come over,” Anna said.

“What do you have to be nervous about? You’re - ya know,” Jesse implied, emphasizing with his hands in the pockets of his football jacket.

She crossed her arms and shook her head.

“I am scared. I’m Anna Stark to the rest of the world, Jesse. And not everyone is a fan of the name Stark,” Anna explained.

Jesse threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side.

“First of allll, don’t make it sound like I’m embarrassed to have you over, in fact, we’ll do dinner at my place tomorrow, okay?” Jesse asked with a pointed look.

She smiled sheepishly tucking her chin down into her collar and nodded.

“And second my mom and dad are divorced. I live with my mom and she’ll love you,” Jesse reassured with a squeeze before releasing her.

“Then we should both relax,” Anna said breathing out heavily as they turned the corner down on to the school’s street.

They tailed behind a group of kids being dropped off and their progress slowed further. Anna looked around the group of kids and spotted a boy in a puffy orange vest and green knit hat handing out fliers to the students entering the building.

“He looks like a pumpkin,” Anna hissed none too discreetly at Jesse.

“Anna!” Jesse hissed back but bit his lip to keep his mouth from upturning into a smile as they were stopped next.

“Mr.Scott! Ms.Stark! Jeez, it would be an honor to have you both on the this year’s Academic Decathlon team… y-you know both your mom and dad were on the team Ms.Stark? They never lost nationals! The awkward boy stuttered with an awestruck expression.

“We’ll think about it, thank you,” Anna said politely taking a flyer and Jesse nodded behind her accepting one as well.

The boy nodded enthusiastically before talking to the next group. Anna looked down at the bright yellow and blue flyer, it said that tryouts started next Tuesday, and-.

“Wow 6o’clock? That's pretty late,” Anna mumbled.

“Well the practice for most sports teams goes till 5:30,” Jesse reasoned with a shrug.

Anna nodded in understanding.

“At least they accommodate for it, what about you?” He asked jogging up the steps inside and out of the cold air.

“What do you mean?” Anna asked walking over to their lockers.

“Clubs, are you gonna do any clubs?” He asked opening his own locker one down from her.

“I dunno. I don’t-,” Anna began to whisper.

She was cut off by a girl hurrying into her locker between them, Anna blanched in disgust as she had a full view of the girl. She rushed to pull out her retainer which was pink, spit shiny into a container and wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. She slammed it shut and hurried off, leaving Anna feeling queasy and disgusted. Jesse raised his eyebrows and a look that expected her to continue.

“Have time really,” she finished saying swallowing and shuddering.

“You good?” Jesse asked.

“All good, let's get to class,” she said grabbing her history textbook.

She slammed the locker shut and started past him down the hall to their first class. They weaved through a sea of students leaving their lockers from both sides of the hallway. Anna spotted the history teacher, Mr.Nelson, at the end of the hall holding the door open. He stood like a sentry guard with the roll call on a clipboard in front of him. Anna didn’t hate him, he wasn’t mean but he was boring, his lectures were lengthy and read from a textbook with as much gusto as a wall. He was older, white hair pepper by dark gray on his sides and he wore thick glasses on the end of his nose, dressed usually in knit sweaters and worn khakis. He looked up over the rim on his glasses as Anna and Jesse approached.

“Good morning Mr.Scott, Ms.Stark,” Mr.Nelson said.

They entered the classroom and he shut the door behind them after checking his watch. Jesse followed Anna to their seats, sitting behind her at the far end of the classroom against the windows. Everyone dugout their textbooks, notes, and pens the sound of kids searching around for their things background as Mr.Nelson explained today’s agenda. Anna slid over her textbook to place down her notes when her back pocket buzzed. She glanced up at Mr.Nelson who had turned and was writing down their assignment on the chalkboard before fishing out her phone.

_Jesse: Does Spider-Girl have a curfew?_

Anna rolled her eyes and turned in her seat nodding to him, Jesse snickered in response and she twisted back around in irritation.

_Anna: Nerd -_-_

She suppressed the groan at the three loading dots and flicked her eyes up to keep one eye on Mr.Nelson. He was sitting at his desk, textbook open to the page written on the board and started his monotone lecture reading down the end of his nose. She felt her phone vibrate and looked down.

_Jesse: Its good though. You’re still a teenager above all else_

_Anna huffed and looked at the next text he sent._

_Jesse: Less time for you to get hurt too_

_Anna: Don’t think I can handle myself?_

_There was a pause before he began typing again._

_Jesse: I’ll tell you about it tomorrow, wear PJs_

_Jesse: Saturdays are movie nights_

_Anna: You better not have any Spider-Man pajamas_

_Jesse: Those are reserved for Friday nights_

_Jesse: Hulk is Saturday_

_Jesse: Captain America is Sunday_

_Jesse: Iron Man is Monday_

_Anna: OMG PLEASE TELL ME YOUR KIDDING!_

_Jesse: ( :_

“Really?” Anna snapped looking back at him.

He smiled mockingly, closed mouth rising up to his nose before it fell and he looked down uncomfortably. Anna felt the presence behind her shoulder and turned around to face whoever it was. Mr.Nelson loomed over her, eyes staring unimpressed down at her and the students snickering and staring at her. She grew sheepish beneath their looks, putting her phone away while Mr.Nelson returned to his desk and pulled out a pink lunch detention slip. She groaned and her forehead fell to the table while her enhanced hearing, not always the nicest thing, picked up his pencil scratching as he wrote out her punishment.

“Yes, Anna I really said that Mr.Nelson eats the ends of his chalk pieces,” Jesse said loudly and dramatically.

There was a collective gasp from the entire classroom and Mr.Nelson ripped out another slip from his pad. Wow. Anna could actually hear the anger in that paper ripping. She looked back at Jesse who winked at her and turned back around to hide the amused smirk. She didn’t approve but she loved him for a reason. Class continued on then, there was dead silence from the students and Anna looked around at them briefly. The boy in his sophomore year who was taking three engineering classes fell asleep, again, his head falling with a thud onto his desk, another boy close to the door fidgeted in his seat with his hand raised in desperate need to use the bathroom and then there was Kate Newman. Anna hated her. Truly did.

The girl was a textbook definition of a blonde-haired, spoiled, bitch and she had no problem in flaunting it. The second day of school she had approached Anna with the intent of asserting some weird female dominance. Anna had no care for this girl as she explained with a false sugar sweet smile that their “common” popularity could cause issues. Anna had simply nodded and vaguely agreed to the girl’s suggestions, or rather threats, to how things were going to go down. That had all gone out the window as soon as she became friends with Jesse and the students eagerly tried to get close to her, stealing Kate’s limelight. She was currently blowing on her freshly painted fingernails while taking notes with her other. Typical. Anna gets busted for talking but Ms. Regina George gets to do her nails, Anna shook her head to herself looking back down to her textbook. A few minutes later Mr.Nelson’s voice was cut off by the first bell, the poor wriggling boy now on verge of wetting himself bolted from the room, the sleeping boy in the back startled awake and looked around in a daze, and blondie replaced her notes with her phone to take a picture of her history class manicure.

“Your homework assignments are on the board, and I do hope you’ve made good progress on your projects due next Thursday,” Mr.Nelson said.

“Oh shit,” hissed the sleeping boy who scrambled to pull out a day planner.

Anna bit back her huff, as Kate raised her hand with that same fake smile she had mastered so well. Anna was already anticipating the annoying comment before it slipped from her mouth.

“Yes, Ms.Newman?” Mr.Nelson asked.

“Since I did most of the work on our project can I be graded individually?” She asked batting her eyelashes.

“Hey! I-,” the girl sitting beside her began to say.

“See me at lunch Ms.Newman. Now off you all go. Ms.Stark, Mr.Scott come to grab your parting gifts,” Mr.Nelson said.

Chairs screeched across the waxed granite floors as students stood and filed out of the room. Anna followed the class with Jesse behind her up to Mr.Nelson’s desk when Kate “accidentally” cut in front of her. Anna instantly scowled at Kate who pursed her lips and with eyes full of mock pity looked down at her. Curse her fate at inheriting her father’s height.

“That's so awful of you Anna. Poor Jesse got in trouble like that, you pulling him down with you,” Kate sighed shaking her head.

“That’s enough Ms.Newman. Jesse, Anna come to take your slips and head to class,” Mr.Nelson said regarding the trio over his glasses.

Kate smirked and spun on her heel, her ponytail nearly whipped Anna in the face but she ducked in time and sneered at her retreating figure. Jesse took their slips and gently pressed his hands into her shoulders and lead them out of the classroom. Anna clenched her fists and scrunched her nose in annoyance as she fought the urge to go the other way after Kate.

“I’ve never wanted to punch someone so badly! Super strength not withheld. Bank robbers are nicer!” Anna hissed so only Jesse could hear.

“Woah, you have super strength,” Jesse breathed as they headed to calculus.

“Keep your voice down Jesse,” Anna growled spinning around to face him before they entered their next classroom.

“Right. Sorry. Shutting up now, nerding out later,” Jesse said pretending to zip his mouth shut.


	6. Robots and Dodgeball

Kate was luckily not in this class. Lucky for her that was. Anna helped Jesse with the harder problems, earning her a compliment from Ms.Rosalinda and a thankful smile from Jesse. That class flew by quickly for Anna, as she was stronger in these classes than she was her humanities. This is where they split up until gym, Anna going to advanced engineering and Jesse headed to his digital applications class. This was Anna’s favorite class, she excelled in this field and had made her own little corner in the back of a class made up of males. When her dad was in Midtown he explained that their engineering teacher was an older guy who had given his students' practically unsupervised reign as long as they made something that worked at the end of the year. Although that had sounded fun, Anna really loved her class the way it was.

Especially her teacher.

Mr.Elliot was a young, fresh four years out of graduate school, quirky, creative and insanely smart man. He dressed in rich, vibrant colored button ups that he rolled up to his elbows, old scars from working with equipment in college littered his arms, he wore black slacks every day except for Fridays when he wore jeans, he had a watch made of wood on his right wrist and a gold band on his left ring finger. Married, but Anna had never seen any pictures on his desk or computer which was a little odd. A few far-fetched fantasizing senior girls had been obsessed with the young new face. When Anna first met him she thought he was a student, the way he acted and his little jumpy quirks reminded her of some sugar high teenager. He was polite and well mannered, although he was a little bit of an introvert he had been the one to stop Anna in the hallway. He introduced himself while shaking her hand excitedly, he then told her about how he had done his thesis on the evolution of the first Iron Man suit to the Mk 1 iconic suit. She was pleasantly surprised that the fanfare was kept to a minimum and got caught up in an in-depth discussion. They went over the original arc reactor’s design for power distribution versus the horrible consequences of the palladium charged core. Anna gave him great insight and details that he hadn’t known, leaving him grateful and impressed. She later discovered in that her lunch period had been switched with her pre-prerequisite engineering course to the advanced class.

“Good morning Anna,” Mr.Elliot said as she handed him her homework.

He was dressed in royal purple today with a silk black tie and his mass of hazelnut curls falling in his face. He turned from the computer and smiled at her as she leaned back against his desk crossing her arms and hanging her head in defeat.

“Morning, it has been a morning,” she sighed in response to his chipper mood.

“Oh no, what happened?” He asked.

“Lunch detention, snotty blonde girls are a real thing and more homework than I can swallow, all before… oh, look at that 9AM. Just peachy, Mr.E,” she said pointing at his watch.

He chuckled at her drama and shook his head.

“Human issues, can't say I can help much with those. Do what I did and stick to robots, they don’t talk back- or at least most don’t, nowadays. Anyhow, as for lunch detention what’d you do?” He asked sitting back in his chair, crossing his arms and giving her an expectant look.

Anna looked down at his mahogany desk and traced a circle, the oil in her finger leaving a streak in the lacquer. She avoided his gaze and shrugged her shoulders speaking softly.

“I asked Jesse a question and got written up for not paying attention,” she said.

“Was it a question pertaining to the class?” Mr.Elliot asked.

She bit her lip and finally looked at him with a guilty smile.

“Maybe… maybe not,” she admitted with a look that said ‘please be on my side, even though I was clearly wrong’.

Mr.Elliot sighed and she felt a small pit of guilt bubble up. She didn’t want her favorite teacher to be disappointed with her. She was a little more hopeful when he looked up at her with a sympathetic smile.

“Listen, I’m sure Mr.Nelson isn’t someone I want to listen to for forty minutes but we all have to do things we don’t want to. Come here for your lunch detention-,” Mr.Elliot said.

“Jesse got it too,” she interjected.

“Fine. Both of you come here. I have a meeting during lunch so this place needs to be cleaned before the next class after lunch periods. I’ll let the coach know I’m using you two for free labor,” Mr.Elliot said.

“Maid duty, Mr.E?” she corrected.

He grinned, shaking his head and waving her away as he turned back to his computer.

“Go make sure Samuel doesn’t make his robotic arm thing explode,” Mr.Elliot said.

Anna turned and gasped running over to Samuel holding two different electrical wires in each hand.

“Sam put that down!” Anna shouted.

Anna managed to thwart that disaster thankfully. She had the fact that she finished her arm yesterday to thank for that, so she used the rest of her spare time to tinker on smaller things and go around to help. The students in class made her genuinely happy because when they seemed her help, it wasn't because she was a Stark but because they valued each other's ideas, questions, and criticisms. She was always a little disappointed when the class ended but she gave Mr.Elliot a passing high-five while walking out and met Jesse outside in the hall. He looked to be disgruntled and she raised an eyebrow at his face.

“So I think Mr.Banks hates me, I got an 85 on my test and I was the only one who could make the 3D piñata dance,” Jesse grumbled as they headed towards the gym.

“You’re a good looking, smart, jock Jesse - of course, he hates you,” Anna said sidestepping two boys not paying attention as they chatted.

“Honesty is not appreciated this time,” Jesse hissed.

Anna shrugged.

“I got our lunch detention moved to the engineering shop,” she offered to him as they entered the gym.

“Thank god,” Jesse gasped in relief before breaking away to the boy’s locker room.

Anna smiled to herself, walking into the girl's locker room to get changed. Anna ignored the glances and whispers from most of the cheerleading squad who unfortunately shared this gym period with her. The cheer squad consisted of every stereotypical girl whose agenda in high school was not to succeed in academics but exceed in boys. They were all riding on the fact that even if they failed mommy and daddy could make a generous donation to the science department, and if they didn’t get into the college they wanted on grades, they could get there on a check. In all honesty, Anna could fit into the group criteria perfectly, but because she could fit in so well it threatened Kate’s power of authority of her group of followers. Kate had already made it official by becoming the captain of the cheerleading squad, boosting her status. Anna finished changing and shut her gym locker, she could feel the small group behind her before she turned around and was face to face with Kate. This was the second time today that Anna had the misfortune of being so close to Ms.Popularity and she was growing exceedingly nauseous from her floral perfume being so close. Two girls stood as pathetic excuses for a backup behind Kate as she crossed her arms and leaned into Anna even closer. She might actually throw up now.

“Are you and Jesse a thing?” Kate snapped.

Oh?

Well, this explained the increase of nastiness in the past month.

Anna wanted to throw back her head and laugh. This was getting to be hilarious. However, she didn’t want to give Kate the satisfaction of denying or approving anything. Plausible deniability, yes?

“Well, Stark?” Kate huffed in impatience.

“In case the phrase ‘mind your own business’ isn’t clear enough-,” Anna spat and then pretended to lunge forward at Kate’s face.

Anna wanted to laugh at her next reaction as Kate yelped, and all girls flinched backward with shocked looks of disgust. She kept her face straight on though and continued to intimidate her and her friends.

“Then maybe that was,” Anna finished saying with a growl

She marched past them, as they all looked at each other like Anna had just slapped them all. She felt accomplished but just to make it known, she sprinkled a last threat onto the end. She stopped, turned to them and glared.

“Stay away from my best friend by the way,” she said.

Kate gasped and one of her friends pulled out their phone to start furiously texting whoever but Anna walked away with a smug smirk. Back out in the gym, she walked to Jesse who was reclined in the bleachers with his arms behind his head, his long legs nearly touching the second level below where he sat. Anna thought he looked funny being so tall but looking right at home with his limbs dangling over the seats. It was his turn to raise an eyebrow at her peeved attitude, but she waved it off and plopped down in the seat beside him. Once the kids had finished congregating, the coach had them line up to do laps around the gym, the line did not last very long as kids jogged to the same speed as their friends. Anna kept up with Jesse’s long strides easily with maintaining a speed to match. Afterward, they did sit-ups to end their warm-ups before getting into a heated match of mixed dodgeball. It took some convincing on the student’s end, Anna eagerly agreeing that the girls could keep up and dodge just as well before the coach consented. Some girls had opted out of the game, mainly the whole cheer squad who sat on their phones on the bleachers. One girl, Mary, who even Anna would not want to face off against, was fortuitously on their team and pelting the students on the other side left and right. One boy was not fast enough as a ball hit him right in the back of the head and he fell face first onto the shiny floor. Anna and Jesse recoiled in empathy as his face hit the ground and Mary roared in triumph.

“I think Mary would give Uncle Bruce a run for his money,” Anna mumbled catching a dodgeball and watching the annoyed boy walk away.

“Ohhh so close!” Jesse hissed as the ball missed his target.

“Duck!” Anna shouted grabbing his arm and pulled him down.

The ball went right overhead and Anna threw her ball at the girl’s foot. She trudged off the court and Anna grabbed the next ball that rolled to her feet when she heard them. Her senses picked up on the laughing and jeering of the girls seated on the bleachers. Anna looked up at Kate and her posse while they brandished their phones to each other and then one pointed directly at Anna and the laughing increased.

“Ignore them,” Jesse sighed catching a ball.

Anna frowned and turned away. She spotted Mark, a tall basketball player targeting someone on her team and not paying attention. Easy target- but so was Kate. Anna’s eyes traveled up to the backboard on the other side of the gym and she grinned winding back her arm for show.

“Not this time, watch this,” Anna said and Jesse looked up as she let the ball fly.

Everyone playing flinched as the red rubber ball smacked against board before bouncing off at the perfect angle and knocked right into Kate’s hands as she showed off her manicure. They all screamed and dispersed as everyone playing laughed.

“My nail is broken! Oh my god! Who did-?! ANNA STARK!” Kate screeched stomping down the bleachers and picked up the dodgeball with both hands.

Kate raised it over her head but before she could do anything, another ball sped right into her head, she fell to the ground and everyone gasped. Anna placed her hands over her mouth in shock and looked towards Mary who shrugged.

“She was on their side,” Mary reason pointing towards the other team.

“Hol-,” Jesse began to breathe.

“Jesse get the coach!” Anna instructed and ran over with Mark to turn Kate over.

Jesse ran into the coach’s office and the coach left with one of Kate’s friends down to the nurse’s office with an out cold Kate. Left to themselves the rest of the students went to get changed back into their street clothes, while she got changed Anna felt someone behind her. This was getting to be old she decided as she turned but was met surprisingly with a nervous Mary. Anna gave her an encouraging smile and Mary hugged her arms, a big change from the confident girl back in the gym room. Mary was tall and on the girl’s basketball team as their captain, she was quiet in most classes but loud in gym class.

“Hey, Mary, what's up?” Anna asked.

“I wanted to apologize,” she said.

“For what?” Anna asked furrowing her brow.

“I went a little too far back there with Newman- but I see how she bullies you and Scott, knocking her out wasn’t an accident,” she said.

Anna was surprised at first before she grinned and held up her hand for a high five.

“No need to apologize for guts I don’t have,” Anna said.

Mary beamed and slapped Anna’s hand, Anna winced slightly for show but Mary didn’t seem to notice as she walked away. Anna left the locker room and noticed Jesse talking to the football coach across the way. The football coach chatted away with a big smile but Jesse, though he was trying to hide it, look discomforted and was forcing the smile on his lips. Jesse nodded and the football coach enthusiastically patted his shoulder walking away, and Jesse’s shoulders fell. Anna walked quickly over and laid a hand on her best friend’s arm, she frowned when he looked away and she tried to careen her neck around to look at his face.

“Hey,” he mumbled.

“Jess, what's wrong?” She asked.

“Coach wants to extend practice time, by an hour. I’m close to failing math, I’m trying to keep up with all my other classes and now this. I barely have enough time to study as it is, I’m gonna fail,” he sighed.

“Can he do that?” Anna asked.

“If he wants to, he usually gets jumpy before the first game of the year anyways - but this is just a lot,” he mumbled.

“Well, I’ll help you study. You’re not gonna fail, trust me, I’m the queen of handling a packed schedule,” Anna huffed as they headed towards the engineering lab.

“I- you know what it is? I just hate only being the star-quarterback, that kid in the newspapers-,” Jesse ranted on.

“Then quit. You’re lucky, you have that option. I’m the ‘kid in the newspapers’ too, Jess. It’s not always nice I know, so enjoy your options and I’ll support whichever one you choose,” Anna said cutting off his emotional rant.

“Thanks, Ann,” he mumbled with a genuine smile, shoulders deflating in relief.

“But also remember I will support your right to make stupid decisions and so I will pick another one,” she said.

“Jerk,” he groaned.


	7. Babies and Coffee

She opened the door to the engineering lab but paused at the top of the stairs. Jesse nearly crashed into her but stopped himself, his gaze followed hers and they both stood perplexed. Mr. Elliot was talking to another man down by his desk, his face was one of happiness and giddy smiles. Anna couldn’t see the other man’s face very well but from his profile, she could tell he was smiling too. He was Hispanic and his full black hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck. He wore a black tracksuit with red accents and red Nikes, his ankles crossed as he supported his weight on one hand against Mr. Elliot’s desk. Even more interesting though, was the baby carrier propped up on the center of his desk. Mr. Elliot was talking sweetly down at the carrier and, from what Anna could assume from the squealing and gurgles, the baby inside.

“She slept all the way here,” the unknown man said.

“Oh, that's good. She barely slept last night,” Mr. Elliot said.

He raised his smile to the man and from his peripheral noticed Anna and Jesse at the top of the stairs, his smiled widened then as he stood up straight and waved them down.

“You guys are early, I didn’t even hear you come in. Come here,” Mr. Elliot said.

The man next to him turned around and smiled at him. He was Mr. Elliot's age and handsome, he flashed them a pearly white smile and a small wave.

“Anna, Jesse I’d like you to meet my husband Miguel,” he said motioning a hand to the man.

She could feel Jesse tense behind her as she found herself tripped up for a moment. Husband? She knew Mr. Elliot to be a little flamboyant, but that went along with his over the top personality sometimes. She had never assumed he was gay, but then again she never thought Jesse had been either and everyone would never believe that her nerdy father was Spider-Man. The world was certainly full of mysteries and surprises, she enjoyed these pleasant ones.

“Miguel, this is Anna Stark, one of my best students and her friend Jesse Scott,” Mr. Elliot said.

“‘Best’? Try more like favorite,” Miguel said with a wink and held out his hand to shake.

Anna laughed as Mr. Elliot sputtered about in a half-hearted attempt to not make it obvious that what his husband said was true.

“I have no favorites, Anna just happens to be a model student when she’s not serving lunch detention,” Mr. Elliot said retying his tie around his neck.

“Thanks, Mr.E, way to throw me under the bus there,” Anna grumbled as she shook Miguel’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Jesse. You were quite the star back in middle school, I assume we’ll see some more great games this year,” Miguel complimented him shaking Jesse’s hand.

“Thank you, sir, we have a good team and I don’t doubt them when we’re out there,” Jesse said.

“And a good captain,” Anna pretended to whisper behind her hand none too discreetly.

Jesse elbowed her lightly and they all laughed. A small gurgle from the desk interrupted them and Mr. Elliot turned around the to carrier and reached into it.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce you as well, that was rude of me sweetheart. Isabella these are Daddy’s students, Anna and Jesse! Anna, Jesse this is our daughter Isabella, Izzy for short,” Mr. Elliot said.

A little girl, Hispanic in ethnicity, and around one, maybe a month or two younger was lifted into his arms. She wore a yellow onesie with a knit hate on her head and wisps of black hair escaping from underneath. She made excited and happy noises up at her father who smiled back down at her and kissed her head. He shifted around to the side so he could give her a clear view of them. Her little brown eyes twinkled in delight at the new people and she reached out curiously with a toothless smile.

“Oh my god! She’s so precious!” Anna gasped in bubbly awe.

Innate female instincts took over and she was melting. It was an adorable, smiling baby. Shoot her for freaking out.

“Wanna hold her?” Miguel asked and Mr. Elliot nodded encouragingly at her.

She didn’t need the encouragement as she set her bag on the table and bounced on her heels.

“Of course,” she squealed.

She met Mr. Elliot half-way and he gently rested the baby into her arms. She held the small weight effortlessly and looked down at Izzy who laughed loudly. The little girl’s high pitched squeal was only a lot loud to her sensitive ears but it was okay because she was so damn cute. Anna did make a mental note to apologize to her father for her own squealing as a baby, and Jesse walked over to peer over her shoulder

“She is really cute,” Jesse agreed.

“Liar! She’s perfect! Look at those cheeks, and her little angel hair, and- holy cow I’m turning into my dad - an emotional wreck but I can’t help it,” Anna cried as she rocked the girl back and forth.

“Buh-buhnana, Banana!” Izzy mumbled pointing up at Anna.

Anna looked quizzically at Mr. Elliot who chuckled to himself and Miguel flashed him a knowing smile. Mr. Elliot shrugged and sat the edge of his desk, as Miguel nodded at Isabella who just got happier.

“She’s seen you on TV a few times, and I told her I knew you. She’s a little shy and slow with speaking and so when she sees you on TV she gets really excited and goes ‘Banana’!” Mr. Elliot said.

“She also thinks all those fancy dresses you wear are pretty, or as she says ’pity’,” Miguel added.

Izzy yawned then and Anna bit her lip to stop herself from more fawning over her. She had never been very fond of all the fame and fans, but knowing this little princess was at sitting at home with two wonderful fathers, calling her “Banana” and saying she looked “pity”, made her feel blessed. She was excited when she did something as her alter-ego and helped people, now she could count a few reasons to do something as Anna Stark. Jesse leaned against her and wiggled a finger in Izzy’s face. She followed the movement for a second before reaching up and latching on with both hands, a triumphant look on her face and the teenager melted.

“Okay, its decided, I want her,” Jesse said.

“Too slow nerd, I claimed her first,” Anna said kissing the girl’s nose and earning a recoiled laughed as it scrunched up cutely.

“Uh-oh we better take her back now before we can't get her back again,” Miguel chuckled.

“Aw no!” Anna pouted.

“Banana!” Izzy yelled excitedly and Anna squeezed her playfully.

“She’ll be back to visit. Besides it’s about time I head to that meeting and you guys start cleaning,” Mr. Elliot said taking Izzy back.

“She better be! I don’t think I’ll survive without those cheeks now!” Anna demanded as he placed her back in the carrier and buckled her up.

“Well she’s getting old enough now that we’ve considered hiring a babysitter for nights we’d like to go out,” Miguel said.

“Done! I’ll do it for free!” Anna exclaimed and Jesse rolled his eyes at her theatrics.

Mr. Elliot and Miguel chuckled as he hoisted Izzy off of the desk and leaned over kissing his husband’s cheek. Mr. Elliot smiled as he gathered his things up and Miguel turned back to Anna and Jesse.

“It was very nice to meet you both! We’ll see you two soon, say goodbye Isabella,” Miguel said waving in an example for Izzy at Jesse and Anna.

Anna and Jesse waved to her and Izzy copied them, giggling and waving back at them awkwardly with a closed fist. Anna cooed sweet goodbyes to Isabella and father and daughter left. Anna swiveled around as soon as soon as the door closed, she puffed her cheeks and looked accusingly at her teacher. Mr. Elliot grabbed his papers and the paper brown bag that was his lunch, balancing his coffee cup with three fingers in the same hand.

“How dare you not introduce me to that sweet little angel sooner, Mr. E!” Anna yelled.

He smiled sheepishly at her.

“We can look at pictures later, put your slips on my desk and start. The tables need to be wiped of shavings and the floor swept,” Mr. Elliot instructed.

“Sure thing Mr. E, enjoy your meeting,” Jesse said removing his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

“In all honesty Jesse, I’d much rather be cleaning here with you two,” Mr. Elliot said jumping up the stairs two at a time.

The bell rang then and Mr. Elliot saluted to them as he left the room. Jesse clapped and rubbed his hands together warming them up. He turned in a slow circle looking about the room before turning to Anna and opening his arms.

“Alright, where is the broom?” He asked her.

“In the supply closet… but we don’t need it,” Anna mumbled distractedly as she rummaged around in her backpack for something.

“How do you suppose we sweep this dust-up then?” Jesse asked raising his eyebrow.

“Ha! Found it!” Anna shouted in victory before pulling out two black strips.

“Slap-stick bracelets?” Jesse questioned taking a guess as to what she was holding.

“Fancy Stark slap-stick bracelets actually,” she corrected.

She slapped one down of her wrist and Jesse watched it expand and roll completely around her wrist, connecting together, a smaller piece slid into her palm and a blue circle lit up. It took a moment before Jesse gasped and grabbed her hand.

“Is this-?” Jesse whispered.

“The Mk 1 spidey suit web-shooters,” Anna said twisting her hand about for him to see.

“So cool,” he breathed.

She took back her hand and grabbed his arm yanking him towards her. She pointed at him so closely and intensely he was pretty sure she was about to impale his nose.

“This is not a toy,” she told him sternly with the most serious voice.

Before Jesse could speak, Anna slapped on the other web-shooter and he inhaled audibly in shock as it expanded around his own wrist. He started to hyperventilate as she walked away and held out his arm, cradling his elbow, calling after her in panic like he had a poisonous bug on his hand.

“Anna! Anna! Don’t walk away! I could kill myself!” He cried, shuffling after her.

“Don’t worry. I reinstalled the training wheels program; when my dad first trained me I practiced with these on the same settings, they can only shoot a basic web,” she said.

Anna looked at the small window in the door and leaped onto the railing on the stairs. She hopped off and peek out the window down each side of the hall before locking and pulling down the shade.

“Locking the door just in case,” she said before coming back down to where he was.

“So now what?” Jesse asked.

“Its easy, the webs are adhesive and pick up _everything_ ,” she said.

She then demonstrated by shooting a web at one of the workshop tables. The web had expanded before it hit the table, Jesse watched the shiny silk substitute draped across the table like lace. She flicked her wrist, grabbing on to the strand and yanked backward. The web snapped back and the dust on the table came with it, she looked to Jesse with a smug expression and he grinned like a kid in the candy shop.

“Cleaning has never looked like so much fun,” Jesse said.

“Let’s get started then,” Anna said.

-

“One day, you’ve gotta let me try that again,” Jesse sighed looking up at the ceiling as he rummaged his hand around in the pretzel bag.

He was sitting in Mr. Elliot's spinning chair at his desk, reclined and looking up at the skylight. They had finished quickly, Anna only having to help get a few webs off that had stuck before disposing of them. She was working on their history project and enjoying the silence of lab while they munched on snacks Jesse had brought for lunch.

“I told you they’re not toys Jesse,” she reminded him while typing up another slide on her laptop.

“You just used them to clean a classroom, why do you have them anyways?” Jesse asked.

“Emergencies. Just in case I can’t suit up, I just slap one on,” she mumbled and then took a sip of her decaf iced coffee.

“I don't know how you drink that stuff, isn’t the whole point of coffee the caffeine?” He huffed munching hard on a pretzel.

“My senses are already through the roof, having caffeine wouldn’t go over well,” she said.

Jesse shrugged and look down at her math homework for help with his own, in the silence she only heard his pencil scratching. She looked over to her coffee in the glass bottle, it was flavored mocha, which wasn't her favorite, but an unfortunate mutation she had also inherited was an abhorrence to peppermint. Which had been the only other flavor, now that Halloween was approaching and the commercialized holiday season had suddenly begun. So with options already limited to decaffeinated, she had gotten the mocha. It reminded her of when she was younger though and she discovered the taste of coffee plus the harrowing effects of caffeine on her super senses.

_When she was eleven she had taken a curious sip of her grandfather’s coffee. She was spending the day with him, they were down in his lab and working on one of his small personal projects. She always loved spending time with her grandfather, today her tutor had canceled due to the flu and Tony’s schedule had been open; Peter was upstairs with his mother at one of her meetings and her mother was working on some case with the other legal aids at the power plant on the other side of the city. Tony hadn’t minded one bit, it was grandfather-granddaughter time and she was excited._

_He excused himself about an hour in to grab something from her father’s lab and was told to stay where she was. She was good about following directions though and was always obedient of the no-touching rule when unsupervised. However, there was the cup of coffee he had just made. It sat there, steaming on the corner of her grandfather’s work desk, and Anna’s could practically smell the undertones of hazelnut and vanilla added to the roast he used. It was black, her grandfather didn’t like creamers or sugar, so she was intrigued that the usually considered bitter drink, smelled so sweet. Tony always gave her sweet treats, plus it technically wasn’t part of the lab equipment, so she didn’t think he’d mind if she took a sip. The ceramic was hot, but not unbearable as she picked up with both hands being careful not to drop it and took a sip. She winced at the scalding heat and grimaced at the acidic taste, everyone was right - black coffee was disgusting._

_She had placed down the drink a while before her grandfather came back with the tool he needed and she sucked on her marginally blistered tongue. Tony patted her head tenderly on the way back to his stool, his finger grazing through her curls and she gave him a warm smile. She loved her grandpa. They set back to work, Anna answering pop-quiz questions he would throw her way and she asking questions from time to time about the finer details of what he was doing. It wasn’t too long since he came back that she felt a wave of dizziness hit her. It was sudden and unnerved her, but it grew worse then as her head started to spin and the room was suddenly too bright. She became nauseous and fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably when her legs and hands tingled like she had pins and needles. Tony looked over at her when she leaned her head down and pressed her fingers to her forehead before flinching away from the touch._

_“Anna? Sweetie what's wrong?” Tony asked._

_His voice sounded louder than he was actually speaking and she scrunched her face in chagrin. She wouldn’t find out till two years later that she was having her first sensory-overload. They didn’t tell her about her powers, her gifts and their consequences until she was thirteen. In spite of that, it also meant she could tell her grandfather what was happening, so when he reached out to touch her shoulder she jerked back instantaneously. His hand had felt like a thousand needles gliding across her skin and Tony’s eyes widened in alarm as he watched her rake with shivers. Over the sound of her blood rushing through her ears, she heard FRIDAY say something about a ‘Lights Out’ protocol and the sudden anxiety of the dark mixed into her breakdown. ON cue she started crying for the person she always wanted when she was scared._

_“No! Don’t turn off the lights! Please! Get Daddy. Grandpa get Daddy, please get Daddy,” she whimpered._

_“FRI call Peter now,” Tony whispered but to Anna, it sounded like he was speaking into a microphone._

_“Grandpa I don’t feel good,” she sniffled reaching out for him._

_“Shit… okay, okay, it's okay baby. Take a deep breath and close your eyes, its gonna be okay. Anna, sweetie, it would feel better if I turned off the lights,” Tony instructed._

_“No, no, I’m scared,” she whined shaking her head but regretting it when it worsened her dizziness._

_Then the elevator dinged and FRIDAY announced Peter’s arrival. Anna yelped in shock, she could feel the excruciating vibrations of FRIDAY’s voice bouncing off her eardrums and she threw her hands up to her ears._

_“Too loud! FRIDAY is too loud!” She cried as warm fat tears rolled down her face._

_“Hey, what's going on? FRIDAY said it was urg-!” Came Peter’s worried voice as he hurried into the lab._

_“Daddy!” Anna sobbed looking at him with big watery eyes and trembling bottom lip._

_“Anna?! Anna baby, what's wrong?” Peter gasped running to his distressed daughter._

_“Don’t touch!” Tony yelled in alarm, flying out of his seat and grabbing his son’s shoulders._

_Anna could barely focus but she had never seen her father look more furious than he did when her grandfather halted him coming to her. Tony ignored the expression and leaned into his ear cupping his hand and whispering something Anna couldn’t hear. Peter’s face lit up in realization before it crumbled to dismay and Tony stepped away to allow him through._

_“Daddy,” Anna choked up and Peter’s face distorted in frustration and grief._

_“Anna, its gonna be okay. All you need to do is focus on my voice okay?” Peter said so softly that she could tell he wasn't trying to cause the same vibrations that FRIDAY’s voice had caused._

_It was still unpleasant because no matter how gently he spoke, it was still louder and it was coupled with all the machines and tech whirring in the lab. Still, she nodded at him, trusting her father to make it better._

_“I don’t feel good Daddy,” she mumbled._

_“I know honey, I know you don’t feel good but Daddy is gonna help make it feel better. And then you, me, and grandpa can go out for ice-cream. Okay?” Peter said with a smile to try and raise her spirits, kneeling in front of her._

_She nodded._

_“Daddy is gonna pick you up now and FRIDAY is gonna turn out the lights. This might feel weird at first alright?” Peter whispered._

_She nodded again and Peter stood up. She reached out her arms to him and he slowly and tenderly picked her up by her waist. She cringed, the places where they touched felt prickly and her clothes felt rough on her skin. She adapted to the feeling though and stopped squirming, resting her head on her father’s shoulders and closing her eyes as FRIDAY shut the lights._

_“That's my little girl,” Peter barely breathed._

_The only source of light in the lab now was the illumination from the hallway but Anna could still see the concerned face of her grandfather. She sniffled and frowned at him._

_“I’m sorry Grandpa,” she said._

_She was genuinely sorry, her falling ill had cut their time together short and on top of that she didn’t want him to get sick from any germs she might’ve left while stealing a sip of his coffee. She decided to be honest and warn him._

_“For what sweetheart? It’s okay if you don’t feel well,” he said shaking his head and smiling at her._

_“No, I’m sorry because I took a sip of your coffee. It smelled so sweet and I wanted to try it, I should’ve asked first, I’m sorry,” she told him sadly, lowering her eyes._

_If she would’ve kept looking up she would’ve noticed the looks of realization on their faces. Peter and Tony looked to the mug of coffee and then at each other. Now it made sense. Tony had almost forgotten about the no coffee rule, Peter had told him about it so long ago and was old enough to be capable of avoiding it. Anna, on the other hand, had no clue that she would be affected, she hadn’t known better._

_“Oh Anna, you see…”_




“Anna? Earth-to-Stark, did you hear what I just said?” Jesse asked walking over to her desk.

“Hm? Sorry just lost in thought,” she whispered saving her progress on their project.

“I asked if you brought an umbrella. It’s raining,” Jesse sighed motioning to the window behind her as he leaned across in front of her.

She turned around on the stool to look out the window behind her and saw the completely gray sky now. Heavy raindrops pelted the window and distorted the outside world as it streaked across the glass. It was mesmerizing to watch and relaxing to listen to but the thought of walking home was unpleasant.

“I’ll ask Happy to get us,” she said pulling out her phone.

“Happy?” Jesse asked.

“Mm-hm. He is our head of security and my grandpa’s personal driver. He mainly drives around my grandmother, sometimes my mom and in public my dad and I, for show of course. He’s dating my nana — and don’t let the nickname fool you, Happy isn’t always happy,” she chuckled shooting said man a text.

Jesse hopped up on the desk beside her and leaned back on his hands.

“Is this another person in your family who thinks I’m a delinquent?” Jesse groaned.

“Happy thinks all children at delinquents,” Anna said.

“Including you?” He questioned with a smug look.

“Nope! I’m an angel, he thinks my dad is a brat though. Happy could barely stand him as a teenager. My grandpa basically assigned him to babysitting duty when Spider-Man unofficially joined the team. Then again my dad was always getting into all types of trouble,” Anna chuckled, popping the ‘p’ in “nope”.

Jesse leaned back on his elbows then and she pushed his knee at the display of laziness. He swung his legs back and forth looking up at the skylight again.

“So what is your dad like anyways? Besides being a superhero on the side and all, reporters say he is like super smart,” Jesse said.

Anna smiled to herself, picking at the chipping pink nail polish on her left thumb.

“Yeah, they got that right. My dad is like brilliantly stupid smart, especially in chemistry, the best example being the web fluid he designed himself at fifteen. Yet he’s also a total dork. He loves Star Wars and he and my uncle still play with legos from time to time. It's utterly embarrassing, but sweet to see him hold onto to those things, especially when he has to be serious as Dr. Stark and Spider-Man,” Anna sighed.

Jesse snorted and looked at her incredulously.

“Spider-Man is known for his quips while he fights,” he defended.

“Again, embarrassing,” she said.

Jesse grinned wickedly and wagged his finger at her.

“Oh no, don’t act like you aren’t guilty. Plenty of people have reported Spider-Girl with the same sense of humor while she beats up baddies,” Jesse said.

She stuck out her tongue and he laughed shoving her forehead playfully. He laid partially on his side and cushioned his head on his hand against the table and shrugged.

“Sounds like a cool guy though,” Jesse said.

Anna nodded and then she looked content with a small smile.

“My dad is my hero. He, my mom and my uncle were best friends in high school and they’re still really close. My mom teases my dad and calls him a loser, and he’s still head over heels for her, like a puppy dog. He’s such an emotional person, _way_ more than my mom and I, but he treats us like queens and he has such a big heart. I can tell him anything and I really wanna be just like him when I get older, as a person and a superhero. Plus, despite being one himself, he’s a _huge_ Avengers fan, you’ll like him a lot,” Anna said.

Jesse nodded in agreement and then looked puzzled as she started packing away her laptop.

“Does he know that I know?” Jesse asked her.

Anna opened her mouth to respond before the reality of what he just asked hit her. She turned to him, bashfully and bit her lip. Jesse was aghast as he rolled off the table and hands flew to each side of his face like that famous painting, “The Scream”.

“ _You didn’t tell them?!”_ He shouted.

“I forgot!” She shouted back, hands thrown up.

She really needed to get Jesse to see someone about these mental breakdowns. Cry-baby.

“Anna! I can not believe this! I can’t- what if they’re not okay with me knowing?” Jesse anxiously expressed as he paced back and forth chewing on his index finger knuckle.

“Jesse, relax. We are not some kinda mafia cult that’ll kill you,” Anna said.

“Anna,” Jesse whined turning around in a circle and twisting his fingers into the baby hairs of his neck.

Anna hopped out of her seat and stood in front of him, grabbing his arms to stop him from fussing with his hair. She used a voice that best sounded like her mother when she was trying to mediate a stressful situation.

“Jesse, for now, we’ll act like you don’t know anything until I tell them you do, alright?” She said.

This didn’t seem to help as he looked at her like she had three heads and grabbed her arms in turn, giving a slight shake.

“You want me - to _lie_ \- to Spider-Man and Iron Man. Two men who once saved the entire universe, and more than _once_ the world. You want me to sit there and _act_ like I’m not meeting two of my idols!? Anna, I’m still reeling with the fact that you are _Spider-Girl,_ I don’t think I can do this,” Jesse sputtered shaking his head.

“Stop being a drama queen, Jess. You’ll be fine. We’ll play the nervousness off as meeting them for the first time, which _isn’t_ a lie and I’ll be right there the whole time. I have full faith in you and if I didn’t I wouldn’t have told you in the first place,” Anna said with a denoted look.

However, Jesse did not look convinced but sensed his loss in this fight so he conceded and nodded. He gave her a tight-lipped smile as she patted his cheek and went over to grab his bag of pretzels from Mr. Elliot’s desk.

“Three more periods thank god,” Anna yawned changing the subject and plopping into the now open spinning chair.

“I wonder if Kate will go to English,” Jesse contemplated running his finger along a crack in the workbench.

“Most likely, considering you’ll be there,” Anna snorted peering into the bag for a not broken pretzel.

Jesse huffed and Anna smirked to herself procuring her pretzel and shooting her best friend a side long glance.

“So you know about Miss. Blondie’s little crush?” Anna leered.

“‘Know?’ It’s been _known_ since fifth grade. You missed all the poor girls that tried to be nice to me and were bullied because Kate couldn’t cope with competition. It only got worse in eighth grade when we were allowed to join the high school sports teams. When I joined the football team, Kate joined the cheerleading squad - when I became quarterback, the captain of the cheerleading squad broke her ankle in a training ‘accident’” Jesse said with appropriate air quotes.

Anna gasped dramatically and looked at him with wide eyes. She knew Kate could be nasty, but she had assumed the girl was all-bark and no-bite.

“No,” Anna breathed in disbelief.

“Yes,” Jesse said nodding.

“I no longer feel any remorse for what Mary did earlier,” Anna mumbled to herself shaking her head.

“I guess it's a good thing my choice of best friend happens to be an indestructible superhero,” Jesse said.

Anna wanted to smirk triumphantly at the compliment, but part of her felt bothered by the statement. She had never given it much thought but now sitting here, it hit her a little harder than he had meant. Just like the other night, when Jesse said he would die to protect her secrets still unknown to the fact she was Spider-Girl, he didn’t know the gravity of what he was saying. ‘Indestructible’ was a heavy word, it carried a lot of expectations that she knew she couldn’t meet. She thought about her relationship with Jesse, and how if something happened to her, or rather _when_ , she was very much _destructible._ She didn’t want him to think she was invincible and immortal, it was a consequence of being a hero, she could very well not come back to those she was sworn to protect. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to scare him with that burdensome deliberation, after all, he had been really scared when she had to go last night, she didn’t want him to freak out more than he already had. Anna decided to keep it light, but still be truthful, and scoffed at him.

“Ha! I’m sorry to say that I’m not indestructible,” Anna said.

“But you fight super villains! What is a scrawny high school cheerleader compared to you?” Jesse reasoned holding out a hand to her in indication.

She frowned, shaking her head.

“I don’t use my powers to intimidate people Jess. I’ve also never fought anything more than armed robbers, muggers and get away cars. Besides, my dad probably wouldn’t let me fight anything bigger or more serious,” Anna grumbled throwing the closed pretzel bag at him.

Jesse caught the bag by his head shifting uncomfortably from one leg to the next, a sad smile twitched at his lips as he played with the partially crumpled bag in his hands.

“Sounds like any other dad to me… he just wants to protect his little girl,” Jesse mumbled looking down.

Anna looked up at him, but he didn’t look up as he watched his feet and silence settled between them. Jesse’s voice had sounded small, thoughtful and although he was getting his point across to her literally, he also sounded distant. It was as if he wasn’t speaking to her, but to himself or - something. Jesse’s out of focus attitude was getting to her lately and she wanted to know why he was fine one moment and then not fine the next.

“Jesse?” She asked.

The bell rang then making them both jump, Anna silently cursed and Jesse grabbed their bags. The awkward, depressing tension lingered as Jesse motioned for her to the lead the way to the door and slung her bag with his over his shoulder. He must’ve noticed her conflicted face and decided to lighten the mood.

“Ready for the next threat Spider-Girl?” He joked.

She smiled and the question was forgotten for now as she joined him and looped her arm around the crook of his elbow.

“Lead the way, good sir,” she giggled and he beamed.


	8. Is It Over Yet?

They left the lab arm in arm down and headed down the hall earning surprised and curious looks from everyone around them. Girls whispered to themselves, guys eyed the pair up and down and almost every other person pulled out their phones to take pictures or text anyone and everyone, plus their mother. Anna could care less though, they were assumptions, just like everyone had thought she was some billionaire’s spoiled heiress. If no one had the courage to ask for the truth then let them look like fools.

“Everyone is staring,” Jesse said.

“Let’em,” she said back retrieving her phone from her back pocket when it buzzed.

_Happy: You’re sitting in the back with The Delinquent, I’ll have your grandmother with us_

Anna smirked and texted back.

_Anna: “The Delinquent”’s name is Jesse, and shall be on his best behavior_

_Happy: Yeah, yeah, sure_

Anna laughed to herself as she sent him back a tongue out emoji and Jesse gave her a look slipping away his arm to open the door for them.

“What’s so funny?” He asked.

“Oh, it was Happy. He’s picking us up but my grandmother is gonna be with him so he was reminding us to be on our best behavior,” Anna teased sitting down Jesse dropped her bag beside her.

He huffed taking his own seat behind her.

“I’m always on my best behavior,” he said sarcastically and Anna snickered.

“If _our_ first meeting is any indicator of your best behavior you better step it up a notch Mr. Scott,” Anna said.

“That was hardly a bad introduction! You bumped into me in the hall and I complimented you right afterward!” Jesse defended leaning forward in the desk.

“Jesse, Jesse, Jesse - _I_ do not bump into people, _they_ bump into me and that compliment is after you assumed I was a judgmental brat,” Anna said with an exaggerated better-than-you voice.

“I did not,” he mumbled referring to his supposed assumption.

She gave him a look that said “ _Oh really?_ ” and he leaned back into his seat, looking away with his arms crossed. She turned back to face the board as the other students filed in, she heard a few words exchanged in the crowd about their little walk down the hall but nothing that concerned her. The person that sat in front of her was Mark Sanchez, the tall basketball captain, he had skin darker than Anna’s and cropped blonde tipped hair. He was a really nice and humble guy, someone everyone liked and was involved in a lot of school clubs, volunteer projects, and sports. He turned in his seat to face both Anna and Jesse, eyes darting between them and Anna watched his mouth screw up uncomfortably like he wanted to ask a question but didn’t know how to say it.

“I, um, don’t wanna pry, and don’t be offended because it isn’t really my business, but are you guys dating?” Mark asked.

Jesse chuckled and Anna smiled nicely shaking her head.

“No Mark, we’re not dating,” she said.

“Oh cool, cool. Well, I’ll spread the word on my end, but if it’s gotten back to Kate, good luck Anna,” he said smirking at Anna and returned to pay attention as the teacher walked in.

This was English class, another one of Anna’s favorites because it reminded her of times with her mother. They would curl up in the small nook of her parent’s room that Grandpa had designed to hold Michelle’s collection of books. They would have the fireplace going, a book rested on her lap as he mother held her and read. They had read everything, all of her mother’s books, to non-fiction, to classics, news articles, fairy tales, and even in-depth instruction manuals and textbooks for advanced robotics and science. Anna’s dad might be the science whizz but Michelle was a walking encyclopedia, and Anna was always in awe about how much she knew.

Michelle had wanted to do something in business growing up, that's why Tony had taken her on as his assistant so she could learn the ropes. She spent most of her time with Pepper, helping her, auditing meetings and simple secretarial jobs that allowed her to understand the basic functions of a CEO. The decision to work in business changed after a lawyer for a small partnership had served papers against Stark Industries. The papers had accused Stark Industries of stealing a patent from an independent project they had previously been funding. The equipment, that had been patented by the group, was similar to what the company had used when they dropped the independent party. Pepper was swamped with meetings and her current head of legal matters could not find any information on the partnership in the industry’s database. It was like they had disappeared. It didn’t seem right to Michelle, so with a little help from Tony and some minor espionage on Peter’s half, they had solved the ‘Missing Business’ case. The independent project was able to delete all information on their company from the Stark files, they still don’t know how they got past FRIDAY, and tinkered with their own failed patent, the one that got them dismissed, to model Stark Industries improved and successful model. They had wanted revenge for losing their funding from Stark and had gotten caught attempting fraud and bringing false charges against the technology mogul. After that whole debacle, Michelle had decided to become a lawyer. Peter had told Anna one time that watching his wife’s eyes light up when she fought in a courtroom was sometimes more thrilling than fighting bad guys on the ground. Anna and Peter delivered the criminals but Michelle made sure they were gone for good. Anna always believed that both her parents were superheroes and she got kickass powers from both of them, enhanced and not.

Sadly, none of those powers involved patience.

In class, they were reading the ever popular, high school demanded, _Hamlet_ , and it was a story Anna had read countless times with her mother. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of Anna’s favorites and listening to the dramatized audio off a scratchy old tape didn’t make it any more exciting. Jesse nudged her foot when she forgot to turn the page, she was spacing out and barely able to focus on the monotone narrator introducing the next act for Ophelia’s death. Anna yawned while Hamlet’s voice actor started to defend his intense love for the dead girl when Mrs. James turned off the tape to announce their upcoming quiz and tonight’s homework. Kids furiously wrote down the information she put on the board before the bell rang and sent them all to their second to last classes.

Anna had Biology while Jesse went in the opposite direction with a song like “au revoir” as he left. In her next class, they went over the cell production in bone marrow and the different diseases, mutations, and functions of blood. Anna was more interested in the DNA and genetics portion of their discussions and always brought up questions that would relate to both and impress Dr. Lothwell. She was definitely on the engineering and technology scope of the science field but she enjoyed learning about something that she could connect with. Since the original spider had died after biting her father, specifications on its mutations and entire biology were lost. So, some time ago, her Uncle Ned and she started a little research experiment on the side. He had access to better technology that could help with further investigating, they exchanged notes and sometimes blood and swab samples. She’s not really sure what she hoped to find. Dr. Banner had already done a basic overview of Spider-Man’s genetic makeup, and then eventually the differences in hers. She was weaker in proportion but they suspected, like her father, that her powers would increase. But maybe they might discover a hidden power? Help nurture a cure for some disease without the superhero side effects? Maybe discover how long the genetic strain would last in generations, such as Anna’s children and grandchildren. Their research so far had come up with nothing new or it had proven a few obvious theories right or wrong that they had first questioned.

She wanted to focus more in her science class today but she was finding it difficult thinking about the Spanish test she had next period. It had slipped her mind all day, and she forgot to cram in last minute studying last night, so now she found herself trying to copy notes for this class, while sneakily looking at her Spanish notes underneath her science textbook. Unlike her parents, who had both done well in high school, she did not excel in foreign language. Peter was proficient in Spanish, Michelle was fluent and her grandfather was trilingual; Italian, French and more recently than other, German, for obvious reasons. She could barely call herself proficient in anything other than her father’s ridiculous jokes during fights. She did have fun bantering back and forth in with her cousin, T’Chanda, in the few bits and pieces of Wakandan that she knew, even if she sounded ridiculous when she did. The clock seemed to tick slower as the end of school approached, and while that seemed like a good thing, it only prolonged Anna’s increase in anxiety about her test. She tapped her finger on her knee as she kept one ear trained on the rain outside and one ear on the tick and rotating gears of the clock above the door. They were given no homework for the weekend with a collective groan of relief. Anna collected her things slowly as she went over conjugations for “would like to eat” in her head when it was time to go to last class.

Anna did not see Jesse between these classes, the chemistry lab was on the other side of the building from the social studies and foreign language wing. Maybe it was her nerves but she could swear her senses were sharper today; kids shoes squeaked painfully across the waxed floor, she could smell hints of the wet grass from outside through opening and closing doors, the high pitched, excited voices of students ready to go home, her eyes caught the flicker of the fluorescent bulbs flickering minutely above them, back down the opposite end of the hall someone blew sharply on a clarinet and she quickly dodged someone shoving another kid back into a locker. She scowled and discreetly pretended to turn acting shocked while putting out her heel at the right angle to trip the bully and walking away as the roars of laughter began. The satisfaction was overwhelmed by her nervousness though and she debated running to the nurse and swallowing a zero for her test. Instead, Anna entered her class and threw down her bag in her seat before excusing herself to the bathroom. She checked around her, speed walking down the hall, as she pulled out her phone and had FRIDAY dial her father. She squeezed herself into a small space beneath the stairs and waited through one ring before the receiver picked up.

“Hey, sweetheart! What’s up? Don’t you have class?” Peter’s voice asked while sounding busy.

Instantly, she took a deep breath and relaxed. She really didn’t understand but listening to her father’s voice was comforting to her senses.

“Anna? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Peter asked, his voice concentrated more on their call when she didn’t answer right away.

“Yeah — yeah, I’m okay. I just… it felt like my senses were dialed to fifty since last class! I’m not having overload though but they feel like they do when I’m in a fight, except there is no danger now. Am I going crazy?” Anna mumbled huffing from her quick explanation and running a hand through her hair.

Anna’s face screwed up in annoyance when her father chuckled lightly on the other end.

“No sweetie, you’re not crazy. Lemme guess, Spanish test?” Peter asked.

“Lucky guess,” she said while chewing on her thumbnail, all polish picked off.

“Stop biting your nails! Horrible habit you picked from your mother,” Peter scolded.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry but I’m freaking out over here Daddy! Can you just please tell me what's wrong?” Anna begged chewing on her lip instead.

“Anxiety Anna, you’re having an anxiety attack.”

“What?”

“Anxiety attack. Probably over the test which is making you jumpy, hence you’re senses. You’re getting ready for a fight that isn’t coming,” Peter explained and she ran a hand through her hair.

“Okay. Well, how do I stop it?” She asked.

“Go take the test. Stop stalling, you’ll do fine,” Peter reassured.

“R-right. You’re right, I’m stalling. I’m sorry for -,” Anna began to say as she pinched the bridge of her nose and started heading back to class.

“Anna, I’m your dad. I’ll always be here when you need me. Now good luck on your test and I love you,” Peter said.

“I love you too Daddy, thanks,” Anna said and hung up.

She slipped the phone into her back pocket and took a deep breath, heading back down the hall to her classroom to face her test. She felt better as she reclaimed her seat, Ms. Olsen was still handing out the exams and reciting the speech of the moral consequences of cheating. Anna stuck her hands between her thighs to keep herself from biting her nails, her leg bouncing up and down rapidly instead. She wanted to punch something super hard, but that would cause more anxiety — maybe some lawsuits. Anna focused on the clacking of Ms. Olsen’s stilettos as she grew closer to her desk. She was another young teacher, not as young as Mr. Elliot, but young enough to attract the eyes of desperate teenage males. She was unmarried, but that was due to her long repertoire of boyfriends with wallets that got bigger each time. She was nice, pretty, red-head, high-end clothing with lots of makeup and at least some piece of gaudy jewelry on her hand or around her neck. Anna supposed her failure in love with others was due to the immense love for herself. Anna almost flinched when Ms. Olsen dropped the packet and scantron on her desk if her senses hadn’t picked up on the presence right behind her. She glanced briefly beside her to the girl chewing the arm on her glasses while she drummed her fingers on the side of her thigh. Anna picked her head up when Ms. Olsen strode to the front of the class and gave them permission to begin.

Jesse was waiting outside when her class was over. She was third to last out of the room and she looked sadly back at the poor girl from next to her still stressing over the test. She looked on the verge of tears. Anna’s gaze lingered on the girl before Jesse called for her attention with a hopeful look.

“Hey! So, so, how’d we do? 100?” He asked.

“No,” she huffed as they lazily filtered into the crowd going the same way.

“Above a 70?” He tried nudging her shoulder.

“Eh,” she squeaked out with a shrug.

“Did you pass?” He finally asked.

“I hope,” she sighed when they reached their lockers.

She opened her locker and swept her English and Math textbooks into her bag.

“Ah, I’m sure you did fine,” he said patting her head affectionately and she swatted his hand away.

“How’d you do on French?”

“ _Magnifique!_ ” He sang.

He switched out his French textbook for his history and computer science books, shutting the locker and whistling some random tune.

“Have homework for Mr. Alistar?” She asked.

“Working on our apps for review next Friday. I just wanted to look over my coding and the textbook has reference tables for basic actions that I wanted to double check,” Jesse said.

“Hm, well if you need help with anything I can ask my uncle or FRIDAY,” she offered.

“Thanks. So where to?” Jesse wondered.

“Um…,” Anna hummed and then looked at her phone when it buzzed again.

_Happy: Here out front, hurry your grandmother has a meeting_

“They’re here! Let’s go!” Anna announced adjusting her bag on her shoulder and tucking her textbook under her arm.

“Should I say a prayer?” Jesse teased while following at her heels.

“Relax, it’ll be f- oh! There is the car!” Anna cheered.

She pointed out the black SUV sitting out in the rain at the front of the line of cars. Jesse looked around her shoulder and swallowed hard.

“Anna I feel sick,” Jesse confessed.

“ _Vamanos!_ ” She declared and lead the way out into the rain.

Anna laughed when they splashed into the puddle at the bottom of the steps. Her canvas shoes and socks were thoroughly soaked but she ignored the wet and cold lunging for the handle of the car. She threw open the door and scrambled in quickly, over to the other side as Jesse slid in behind her and closed the door. She let out an exasperated ‘ _phew_ ’ and, like a dog, shook her curls of the excess water.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Ever heard of an umbrella missy? Some of us would like to stay dry!” Happy growled, in the passenger seat Pepper chuckled in amusement.

“Sorry Uncle Ha- what are you wearing?” Anna questioned half-way through her apology when she looked up at him.


End file.
